infectar Preterite Conjugation
infectar — to infect
The preterite of infectar is regular: infecté, infectaste, infectó, infectamos, infectasteis, infectaron.
infectar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to describe a completed action of infecting or disinfecting in the past that has a clear beginning and end. For example, when a wound got infected at a specific time or when you disinfected something once.
Notes on infectar in the Preterite
Infectar is fully regular in the preterite. All forms follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Me infecté la mano con el cuchillo oxidado.
I infected my hand with the rusty knife.
yo
¿Te infectaste mientras nadabas en el lago?
Did you get infected while swimming in the lake?
tú
El paciente se infectó después de la cirugía.
The patient got infected after the surgery.
él/ella/usted
Ellos infectaron la comida con bacterias.
They contaminated the food with bacteria.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Nosotros infectamos el área de trabajo con el spray.
We disinfected the work area with the spray.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing the preterite 'infectamos' (we infected) with the present 'infectamos' (we infect).
Correct: The context usually clarifies, but be mindful that 'infectamos' can be either present or preterite.
Why: This is a common feature of regular -ar verbs in the preterite.
Mistake: Missing the accent on the 'ó' in 'infectó' for él/ella/usted.
Correct: The form is 'infectó,' with an accent on the 'ó'.
Why: The accent is necessary to indicate the stressed syllable and distinguish it from other forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: infecto
The present indicative of infectar is regular: infecto, infectas, infecta, infectamos, infectáis, infectan.
Imperfect
yo: infectaba
The imperfect of infectar is regular: infectaba, infectabas, infectaba, infectábamos, infectabais, infectaban.
Future
yo: infectaré
The future tense of infectar is regular: infectaré, infectarás, infectará, infectaremos, infectaréis, infectarán.
Conditional
yo: infectaría
The conditional of infectar is regular: infectaría, infectarías, infectaría, infectaríamos, infectaríais, infectarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: infecte
The present subjunctive of infectar (infecte, infectes, infectemos, etc.) follows expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, and impersonal statements.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: infectara
The imperfect subjunctive of infectar (e.g., infectara, infectaras) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: infecta
The imperative of infectar is mostly regular, with commands like infecta (tú), infecte (usted), infectemos (nosotros), infecten (ustedes), and infectad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no infectes
Negative commands use 'no' plus the present subjunctive: no infectes (tú), no infecte (usted), no infectemos (nosotros), no infecten (ustedes), no infectéis (vosotros).