nadar Preterite Conjugation
nadar — to swim
The preterite of nadar is regular: nadé, nadaste, nadó, nadamos, nadasteis, nadaron.
nadar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite tense of 'nadar' for completed actions in the past, like 'I swam yesterday' or 'She swam across the lake last month'.
Notes on nadar in the Preterite
Nadar is regular in the preterite tense. All forms follow the standard -ar preterite pattern.
Example Sentences
Ayer yo nadé en la piscina.
Yesterday I swam in the pool.
yo
¿Nadaste en el mar durante tus vacaciones?
Did you swim in the sea during your vacation?
tú
Él nadó 100 metros en el campeonato.
He swam 100 meters in the championship.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros nadamos hasta la isla.
We swam to the island.
nosotros
Ellos nadaron la distancia completa.
They swam the full distance.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect ('nadaba') instead of the preterite for a single, completed swim.
Correct: Use 'nadé', 'nadaste', 'nadó', etc., for specific completed events.
Why: The preterite marks a finished action, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Confusing 'nadamos' (preterite) with 'nadamos' (present).
Correct: Context will clarify. 'Ayer nadamos' (preterite) vs. 'Hoy nadamos' (present).
Why: These forms are identical, requiring context to differentiate the tense.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: nado
The present indicative of nadar is regular: nado, nadas, nada, nadamos, nadáis, nadan.
Imperfect
yo: nadaba
The imperfect of nadar is regular: nadaba, nadabas, nadaba, nadábamos, nadabais, nadaban.
Future
yo: nadaré
The future of nadar is regular: nadaré, nadarás, nadará, nadaremos, nadaréis, nadarán.
Conditional
yo: nadaría
The conditional of nadar is regular: nadaría, nadarías, nadaría, nadaríamos, nadaríais, nadarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: nade
The present subjunctive of nadar is nade (yo/él/ella/usted), nades (tú), nademos (nosotros), nadéis (vosotros), naden (ellos/ellas/ustedes).
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: nadara
The imperfect subjunctive of nadar is nadara/nadase (yo/él/ella/usted), nadaras/nadases (tú), nadáramos/nadásemos (nosotros), nadarais/nadaseis (vosotros), nadaran/nadase (ellos/ellas/ustedes).
Affirmative Imperative
yo: nada
The imperative of nadar is nada (tú), nade (usted), nademos (nosotros), nadad (vosotros), naden (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no nades
The negative imperative of nadar uses the present subjunctive: no nades (tú), no nade (usted), no nademos (nosotros), no nadéis (vosotros), no naden (ustedes).