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A close-up of a friendly cartoon face showing one eye closed and one eye open to represent blinking.

parpadear Preterite Conjugation

parpadearto blink

A2regular -ar★★★★★
Quick answer:

The preterite of parpadear is regular: parpadeé, parpadeaste, parpadeó, parpadeamos, parpadeasteis, parpadearon.

parpadear Preterite Forms

yoparpadeé
parpadeaste
él/ella/ustedparpadeó
nosotrosparpadeamos
vosotrosparpadeasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesparpadearon

When to Use the Preterite

Use the preterite of 'parpadear' to talk about blinking as a single, completed action in the past. For example, 'He blinked once' or 'We blinked when the flash went off.'

Notes on parpadear in the Preterite

Parpadear is regular in the preterite tense. All endings follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.

Example Sentences

  • Parpadeé porque la luz era muy fuerte.

    I blinked because the light was very strong.

    yo

  • ¿Parpadeaste durante la foto?

    Did you blink during the photo?

  • El actor parpadeó en el momento justo.

    The actor blinked at the right moment.

    él/ella/usted

  • Parpadeamos al mismo tiempo.

    We blinked at the same time.

    nosotros

  • Ellos parpadearon al ver la sorpresa.

    They blinked upon seeing the surprise.

    ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

  • Mistake: Using the imperfect 'parpadeaba' instead of the preterite 'parpadeé' for a single past blink.

    Correct: Use 'parpadeé' for a specific, completed blink.

    Why: The preterite marks a single, finished event, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.

  • Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form 'parpadeé'.

    Correct: The correct form is 'parpadeé'.

    Why: The accent on the final 'é' indicates stress and distinguishes it from other verb forms.

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Related Tenses