identificar Preterite Conjugation
identificar — to identify
The preterite of identificar has a spelling change in the 'yo' form: identifiqué.
identificar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite when you identified something at a specific moment in the past, like spotting a suspect or recognizing a problem during a meeting.
Notes on identificar in the Preterite
This verb is orthographically changing. In the 'yo' form, the 'c' changes to 'qu' (identifiqué) to maintain the hard 'k' sound before the letter 'e'. All other forms are regular.
Example Sentences
Identifiqué el error en el código inmediatamente.
I identified the error in the code immediately.
yo
¿Identificaste al hombre de la foto?
Did you identify the man in the photo?
tú
El equipo identificó varias oportunidades de mejora.
The team identified several opportunities for improvement.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: identificé
Correct: identifiqué
Why: In Spanish, 'ce' sounds like 'se'. To keep the hard 'k' sound of the infinitive, you must use 'qu' before the 'e'.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'identificar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: identifico
Identificar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense: identifico, identificas, identifica...
Imperfect
yo: identificaba
The imperfect of identificar is regular: identificaba, identificabas, identificaba...
Future
yo: identificaré
The future of identificar is regular: just add -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án to the infinitive.
Conditional
yo: identificaría
The conditional of identificar is regular: identificaría, identificarías, identificaría...
Present Subjunctive
yo: identifique
The present subjunctive of identificar uses 'qu' in all forms: identifique, identifiques, etc.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: identificara
The imperfect subjunctive of identificar is regular: identificara, identificaras, identificara...
Affirmative Imperative
yo: identifica
The imperative of identificar gives commands: identifica (tú), identifique (usted).
Negative Imperative
yo: no identifiques
The negative imperative of identificar always uses the 'qu' spelling: no identifiques, no identifique.