inhalar Preterite Conjugation
inhalar — to inhale
The preterite of inhalar is regular: inhalé, inhalaste, inhaló, inhalamos, inhalasteis, inhalaron, for completed past actions.
inhalar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for the action of inhaling when it happened once and finished in the past. For example, 'He inhaled deeply before speaking'.
Notes on inhalar in the Preterite
Inhalar is fully regular in the preterite tense. The 'nosotros' form, 'inhalamos', is the same as the present tense; context is key.
Example Sentences
Inhalé profundamente y luego exhalé.
I inhaled deeply and then exhaled.
yo
¿Inhalaste el humo tóxico?
Did you inhale the toxic smoke?
tú
Ella inhaló el perfume de las flores.
She inhaled the perfume of the flowers.
él/ella/usted
Los bomberos inhalaron mucho humo.
The firefighters inhaled a lot of smoke.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect ('inhalaba') instead of the preterite ('inhaló') for a single completed action.
Correct: For a specific, finished act of inhaling, use the preterite: 'Inhaló una vez'.
Why: The preterite marks a distinct, completed event, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'inhaló' (él/ella/usted) and 'inhalé' (yo).
Correct: Add the accent: 'inhaló', 'inhalé'.
Why: The accent marks the stress on the final syllable and distinguishes these forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: inhalo
The present tense of inhalar is regular: inhalo, inhalas, inhala, inhalamos, inhaláis, inhalan, for actions happening now or habitually.
Imperfect
yo: inhalaba
The imperfect of inhalar is regular: inhalaba, inhalabas, inhalaba, inhalábamos, inhalabais, inhalaban, for ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: inhalaré
The future tense of inhalar is regular: inhalaré, inhalarás, inhalará, inhalaremos, inhalaréis, inhalarán, for actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: inhalaría
The conditional of inhalar is regular: inhalaría, inhalarías, inhalaría, inhalaríamos, inhalaríais, inhalarían, for hypothetical actions ('would').
Present Subjunctive
yo: inhale
The present subjunctive of inhalar is regular: inhale, inhales, inhalemos, inhalen, inhaléis, used after expressions of desire, doubt, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: inhalara
The imperfect subjunctive of inhalar has two forms: inhalara/inhalase and inhalarais/inhalaseis, used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: inhala
The imperative of inhalar uses regular -ar endings: inhala, inhale, inhalemos, inhalen, inhalad.
Negative Imperative
yo: no inhales
Negative commands for inhalar use 'no' + present subjunctive: no inhales, no inhale, no inhalemos, no inhalen, no inhaléis.