nutrir Preterite Conjugation
nutrir — to nourish
The preterite of 'nutrir' is regular: nutrí, nutriste, nutrió, nutrimos, nutristeis, nutrieron.
nutrir Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'nutrir' to talk about a specific, completed instance of nourishing something in the past. For example, when someone nourished another person or thing at a defined moment.
Notes on nutrir in the Preterite
Nutrir is completely regular in the preterite tense. All the endings follow the standard pattern for -ir verbs.
Example Sentences
Ayer, yo nutrí a mi gato con comida especial.
Yesterday, I nourished my cat with special food.
yo
¿Nutriste las plantas antes de irte?
Did you nourish the plants before you left?
tú
Él nutrió la esperanza en los corazones de la gente.
He nourished hope in people's hearts.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros nutrimos la relación con conversaciones honestas.
We nourished the relationship with honest conversations.
nosotros
Ellos nutrieron la planta durante todo el invierno.
They nourished the plant throughout the winter.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing the preterite 'nutrimos' with the present indicative 'nutrimos'.
Correct: The context of the sentence will tell you if it's a completed action (preterite) or a habitual one (present). For example, 'Ayer nutrimos...' (preterite) vs. 'Hoy nutrimos...' (present).
Why: The 'yo', 'nosotros', and 'vosotros' forms in the preterite can sometimes look identical to the present tense for -ir verbs.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'nutrió' and 'nutrí'.
Correct: The forms are 'nutrió' and 'nutrí'.
Why: The accent marks the stressed syllable and distinguishes these preterite forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: nutro
The present tense of 'nutrir' is regular: nutro, nutres, nutre, nutrimos, nutrís, nutren.
Imperfect
yo: nutría
The imperfect of 'nutrir' is regular: nutría, nutrías, nutría, nutríamos, nutríais, nutrían.
Future
yo: nutriré
The future tense of 'nutrir' is regular: nutriré, nutrirás, nutrirá, nutriremos, nutriréis, nutrirán.
Conditional
yo: nutriría
The conditional of 'nutrir' is regular: nutriría, nutrirías, nutriría, nutriríamos, nutriríais, nutrirían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: nutra
The present subjunctive of 'nutrir' (nutra, nutras, nutramos, nutran) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: nutriera
The imperfect subjunctive of 'nutrir' (nutriera/nutriese, nutrieras/nutrieses, etc.) is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: nutre
Nutre (tú), nutrid (vosotros), nutra (usted), nutramos (nosotros), nutran (ustedes) are the commands for 'nutrir'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no nutras
Negative commands for 'nutrir' use the present subjunctive: no nutras (tú), no nutráis (vosotros), no nutra (usted), no nutramos (nosotros), no nutran (ustedes).