incendiar Preterite Conjugation
incendiar — to set on fire
The preterite of 'incendiar' is regular: incendié, incendiaste, incendió, incendiamos, incendiasteis, incendiaron.
incendiar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for actions of setting something on fire that were completed at a specific point in the past, like 'El rayo incendió el árbol' (The lightning struck and set fire to the tree).
Notes on incendiar in the Preterite
'Incendiar' is regular in the preterite tense. All forms follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Incendié la basura en el patio trasero.
I set fire to the trash in the backyard.
yo
¿Incendiaste la vela para la cena?
Did you light the candle for dinner?
tú
El pirómano incendió el edificio anoche.
The arsonist set fire to the building last night.
él/ella/usted
Incendiaron la casa sin piedad.
They set fire to the house mercilessly.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite.
Correct: Use 'incendió' for a completed action, not 'incendiaba'.
Why: The preterite is for completed events, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'incendió' (él/ella/usted) and 'incendié' (yo).
Correct: The forms are 'incendió' and 'incendié', with accents.
Why: The accent marks the stress on the final syllable, distinguishing these forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: incendio
The present tense ('incendio', 'incendias') describes actions happening now or habitual actions.
Imperfect
yo: incendiaba
The imperfect ('incendiaba', 'incendiabas') describes ongoing or habitual past actions, like 'incendiaba la chimenea cada noche'.
Future
yo: incendiaré
The future tense ('incendiaré', 'incendiarás') indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: incendiaría
The conditional ('incendiaría', 'incendiarías') expresses hypotheticals ('would set fire') or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: incendie
The present subjunctive ('incendie', 'incendies', etc.) expresses wishes, doubts, or emotions about the present or future.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: incendiara
The imperfect subjunctive ('incendiara' or 'incendiase') talks about past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: incendia
Commands like 'incendia tú' or 'incendien ustedes' are formed directly from the present subjunctive (except for tú).
Negative Imperative
yo: no incendies
Negative commands like 'no incendies' always use the present subjunctive forms.