intimidar Preterite Conjugation
intimidar — to intimidate
The preterite of 'intimidar' is regular: intimidé, intimidaste, intimidó, intimidamos, intimidasteis, intimidaron.
intimidar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for actions of intimidating that were completed at a specific point in the past. For example, 'He intimidated the witness yesterday.'
Notes on intimidar in the Preterite
Intimidar is a regular -ar verb and follows the standard conjugation pattern perfectly in the preterite tense.
Example Sentences
Ayer, el matón intimidó a todos en el patio.
Yesterday, the bully intimidated everyone in the yard.
él/ella/usted
No me intimidaste en absoluto.
You didn't intimidate me at all.
tú
Los manifestantes intimidaron a los periodistas.
The protesters intimidated the journalists.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Nosotros intimidamos al equipo contrario en el primer minuto.
We intimidated the opposing team in the first minute.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single completed action.
Correct: For a specific instance of intimidation, use 'intimidó', not 'intimidaba'.
Why: The preterite marks completed past actions, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting accents on 'yo' and 'él/ella/usted' forms.
Correct: The correct forms are 'intimidé' and 'intimidó'.
Why: The written accent marks the stress on the final syllable for these forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: intimido
The present tense of 'intimidar' (intimo, intimidas, etc.) describes current or habitual acts of intimidation.
Imperfect
yo: intimidaba
The imperfect of 'intimidar' (intimidaba, intimidabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past intimidation.
Future
yo: intimidaré
The future tense of 'intimidar' (intimidaré, intimidarás, etc.) speaks of future intimidation.
Conditional
yo: intimidaría
The conditional of 'intimidar' (intimidaría, intimidarías, etc.) expresses 'would' intimidate or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: intimide
The present subjunctive of 'intimidar' (intimide, intimides, etc.) is used after expressions of doubt, emotion, or desire.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: intimidara
The imperfect subjunctive of 'intimidar' (intimidara, intimidaras, etc.) expresses hypothetical or uncertain past actions.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: intimida
Use the imperative of 'intimidar' for direct commands like 'intimidate!' (tú: intimida, ustedes: intimiden).
Negative Imperative
yo: no intimides
Form negative commands for 'intimidar' using 'no' + present subjunctive (e.g., no intimides, no intimiden).