inclinar Preterite Conjugation
inclinar — to tilt
The preterite of 'inclinar' is regular: incliné, inclinaste, inclinó, inclinamos, inclinasteis, inclinaron.
inclinar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'inclinar' to talk about a specific, completed instance of tilting something in the past. For example, 'incliné la silla' (I tilted the chair) or 'inclinaron la cabeza' (they tilted their heads) refer to actions that started and finished.
Notes on inclinar in the Preterite
Inclinar is regular in the preterite tense. All the forms follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Ayer inclinaste la pantalla demasiado y se cayó.
Yesterday you tilted the screen too much and it fell.
tú
El camarero inclinó la mesa para que no se moviera.
The waiter tilted the table so it wouldn't move.
él/ella/usted
Inclinamos el coche para cambiar la rueda.
We tilted the car to change the tire.
nosotros
Los niños inclinaron sus asientos en el avión.
The children tilted their seats on the plane.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'incliné' for 'we tilted' instead of 'inclinamos'.
Correct: The 'nosotros' form is 'inclinamos', not 'incliné'.
Why: Learners sometimes confuse the nosotros preterite with the yo preterite or even the present tense.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'inclinó' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: It should be 'inclinó' with an accent on the 'o'.
Why: The accent mark distinguishes the third-person singular preterite from other forms and indicates stress.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: inclino
Use present forms like 'inclino' or 'inclinan' for actions happening now or habitual tilting.
Imperfect
yo: inclinaba
Use imperfect forms like 'inclinaba' or 'inclinaban' for ongoing or habitual past actions of tilting.
Future
yo: inclinaré
Use future forms like 'inclinaré' or 'inclinarán' to talk about definite future tilting.
Conditional
yo: inclinaría
Use conditional forms like 'inclinaría' or 'inclinarían' for hypothetical situations or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: incline
Use present subjunctive forms like 'incline' or 'inclinen' after verbs of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: inclinara
Use imperfect subjunctive forms like 'inclinara' or 'inclinase' for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: inclina
Use imperative forms like 'inclina' and 'inclinen' for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no inclines
Use 'no inclines' or 'no inclinen' for negative commands, based on the present subjunctive.