
parpadear Preterite Conjugation
parpadear — to blink
The preterite of parpadear is regular: parpadeé, parpadeaste, parpadeó, parpadeamos, parpadeasteis, parpadearon.
parpadear Preterite Forms
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?
tú
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
Present
yo: parpadeo
The present indicative of parpadear is regular: parpadeo, parpadeas, parpadea, parpadeamos, parpadeáis, parpadean.
Imperfect
yo: parpadeaba
The imperfect of parpadear is regular: parpadeaba, parpadeabas, parpadeaba, parpadeábamos, parpadeabais, parpadeaban.
Future
yo: parpadearé
The future of parpadear is regular: parpadearé, parpadearás, parpadeará, parpadeararemos, parpadearéis, parpadearán.
Conditional
yo: parpadearía
The conditional of parpadear is regular: parpadearía, parpadearías, parpadearía, parpadearíamos, parpadearíais, parpadearían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: parpadee
The present subjunctive of parpadear (parpadee, parpadees, parpadee, parpadeemos, parpadeéis, parpadeen) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: parpadeara
The imperfect subjunctive of parpadear (parpadeara/parpadearas/parpadeara/parpadearamos/parpadearais/parpadearan) is used for past hypotheticals and wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: parpadea
Use parpadea (tú), parpadee (usted), parpadeemos (nosotros), parpadeen (ustedes), or parpadear (vosotros) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no parpadees
Use no parpadees (tú), no parpadee (usted), no parpadeemos (nosotros), no parpadeen (ustedes), or no parpadéeis (vosotros) for negative commands.