oscurecer Preterite Conjugation
oscurecer — to get dark
Oscurecer is completely regular in the preterite: oscurecí, oscureciste, oscureció, oscurecimos, oscurecisteis, oscurecieron.
oscurecer Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to mark the specific moment the sun went down or when a room suddenly became dark due to a power outage.
Notes on oscurecer in the Preterite
Unlike the present tense, there is no 'z' in the preterite. It follows the standard -er verb endings.
Example Sentences
Ayer oscureció a las seis de la tarde.
Yesterday it got dark at six in the evening.
él/ella/usted
Oscurecí el dibujo con un lápiz negro.
I darkened the drawing with a black pencil.
yo
De repente, las nubes oscurecieron el día.
Suddenly, the clouds darkened the day.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: oscurecio
Correct: oscureció
Why: The third-person singular (él/ella/usted) needs an accent on the 'ó' to indicate the stress is at the end.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: oscurezco
Oscurecer follows the -cer/-cir pattern: the 'yo' form is oscurezco, while other forms are regular.
Imperfect
yo: oscurecía
Oscurecer is regular in the imperfect: oscurecía, oscurecías, oscurecía, oscurecíamos, oscurecíais, oscurecían.
Future
yo: oscureceré
Oscurecer is regular in the future: oscureceré, oscurecerás, oscurecerá, oscureceremos, oscureceréis, oscurecerán.
Conditional
yo: oscurecería
Oscurecer is regular in the conditional: oscurecería, oscurecerías, oscurecería, oscureceríamos, oscureceríais, oscurecerían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: oscurezca
The present subjunctive uses the 'zc' stem for all forms: oscurezca, oscurezcas, oscurezca, oscurezcamos, oscurezcáis, oscurezcan.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: oscureciera
Oscurecer is regular in the imperfect subjunctive, using the 'ra' or 'se' forms: oscureciera, oscurecieras, etc.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: oscurece
The imperative uses 'oscurece' (tú) and 'oscurezca' (usted/ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no oscurezcas
The negative imperative always uses the present subjunctive forms with 'no'.