hundir Preterite Conjugation
hundir — to sink
Use preterite forms like 'hundí' (yo) and 'hundió' (él/ella/usted) for completed actions, like a ship sinking.
hundir Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
The preterite is used for actions that were completed at a specific point in the past. Think of a ship that *sank* at a particular time, or a plan that *was sunk* and that was the end of it.
Notes on hundir in the Preterite
'Hundir' is regular in the preterite tense. All the endings are standard for -ir verbs.
Example Sentences
El viejo submarino se hundió en el Atlántico.
The old submarine sank in the Atlantic.
él/ella/usted
Yo hundí la pequeña barca a propósito.
I sank the small boat on purpose.
yo
Ellos hundieron todas las pruebas.
They sank all the evidence.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
¿Tú hundiste el barco de juguete?
Did you sink the toy boat?
tú
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'hundía' instead of the preterite 'hundió' for a single, completed sinking.
Correct: Use 'El barco se hundió' for a one-time event.
Why: The preterite marks a finished action, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'i' for yo, tú, él/ella/usted forms.
Correct: Remember 'hundí', 'hundiste', 'hundió'.
Why: The accent marks the stress on the final syllable and distinguishes these forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: hundo
Use present forms like 'hundo' (yo) and 'hunde' (él/ella/usted) for actions happening now or habitually.
Imperfect
yo: hundía
Use imperfect forms like 'hundía' (yo/él/ella/usted) for ongoing or habitual past actions, like a ship that was sinking.
Future
yo: hundiré
Future forms like 'hundiré' (yo) and 'hundirá' (él/ella/usted) express future actions or probability.
Conditional
yo: hundiría
Conditional forms like 'hundiría' (yo/él/ella/usted) express 'would' actions, polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: hunda
Use present subjunctive forms like 'hunda' (yo/él/ella/usted) for wishes, doubts, and emotions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: hundiera
Use imperfect subjunctive forms like 'hundiera' or 'hundiese' for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: hunde
Use imperative forms like 'hunde' (tú) and 'hunda' (usted) for direct commands with hundir.
Negative Imperative
yo: no hundas
Form negative commands with 'no' plus the present subjunctive, like 'no hundas' (tú) or 'no hunda' (usted).