inspirar Preterite Conjugation
inspirar — to inspire
Use 'inspiré', 'inspiraste', 'inspiró', 'inspiramos', 'inspirasteis', 'inspiraron' for completed past actions.
inspirar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
The preterite is for actions in the past that were completed at a specific moment or had a definite end. Think about when something *started* or *finished* inspiring someone, or when an event *was* inspiring and then concluded.
Notes on inspirar in the Preterite
Inspirar is a regular -ar verb in the preterite. All the endings follow the standard pattern: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron.
Example Sentences
Ayer, el discurso me inspiró mucho.
Yesterday, the speech inspired me a lot.
él/ella/usted
Ella inspiró a miles de personas con su historia.
She inspired thousands of people with her story.
él/ella/usted
Nos inspirasteis a seguir nuestros sueños.
You all inspired us to follow our dreams.
vosotros
Los artistas inspiraron a la multitud con su actuación.
The artists inspired the crowd with their performance.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'inspiraba' instead of the preterite 'inspiró' for a specific past event.
Correct: Use the preterite for single, completed actions in the past.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, while the preterite marks the completion.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form 'inspiré'.
Correct: The yo form requires an accent on the final 'é' to indicate stress.
Why: The accent distinguishes the preterite 'yo' form from other potential forms and marks the stressed syllable.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: inspiro
Use 'inspiro', 'inspiras', 'inspira', 'inspiramos', 'inspiráis', 'inspiran' for current or habitual actions.
Imperfect
yo: inspiraba
Use 'inspiraba', 'inspirabas', 'inspirábamos', 'inspiraban' for ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: inspiraré
Use 'inspiraré', 'inspirarás', 'inspirará', 'inspiraremos', 'inspiraréis', 'inspirarán' for future actions or probability.
Conditional
yo: inspiraría
Use 'inspiraría', 'inspirarías', 'inspiraría', 'inspiraríamos', 'inspiraríais', 'inspirarían' for hypotheticals and polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: inspire
Use 'inspire', 'inspires', 'inspiremos', 'inspiren' for wishes, doubts, emotions, and recommendations.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: inspirara
Use 'inspirara', 'inspiraras', 'inspiráramos', 'inspiraran' for past hypothetical situations or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: inspira
Use 'inspira', 'inspire', 'inspiremos', 'inspirad', 'inspiren' for direct commands and suggestions.
Negative Imperative
yo: no inspires
Use 'no inspires', 'no inspire', 'no inspiremos', 'no inspiréis', 'no inspiren' for negative commands.