menear Preterite Conjugation
menear — to wag
Meneé, meneaste, meneó, meneamos, meneasteis, menearon for completed actions in the past.
menear Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for actions of 'menear' (to wag, shake, stir) that were completed at a specific point in the past. Think of a single wag of a tail or a specific instance of shaking something.
Notes on menear in the Preterite
Menear is regular in the preterite. All endings are standard for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
El perro meneó la cola cuando me vio.
The dog wagged its tail when it saw me.
él/ella/usted
Ayer meneaste el agua para disolver el azúcar.
Yesterday you stirred the water to dissolve the sugar.
tú
Ellos menearon la cabeza en señal de desaprobación.
They shook their heads in disapproval.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Meneamos la mezcla durante cinco minutos.
We stirred the mixture for five minutes.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'meneaba' for a single, completed action.
Correct: Use the preterite 'meneó' for a specific instance of wagging or shaking.
Why: The preterite marks completed actions, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'meneó'.
Correct: The 'él/ella/usted' form is 'meneó', with an accent on the 'o'.
Why: The accent marks the stressed syllable and distinguishes it from other forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: meneo
Meneo, meneas, menea, meneamos, meneáis, menean for actions happening now or habitually.
Imperfect
yo: meneaba
Meneaba, meneabas, meneaba, meneábamos, meneabais, meneaban for ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: menearé
Menearé, menearás, meneará, menearémos, menearéis, menearán for future actions or probability.
Conditional
yo: menearía
Menearía, menearías, menearía, menearíamos, menearíais, menearían for hypotheticals ('would').
Present Subjunctive
yo: menee
Menee/menees/menee/meneemos/meneéis/meneen after wishes, doubts, emotions, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: meneara
Meneara/menearas/meneara/menearamos/menearais/menearan for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: menea
Menea, menean, menea, meneemos, menean, menea for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no menees
No menean, no menees, no menee, no meneemos, no meneéis, no meneen for negative commands.