perecer Preterite Conjugation
perecer — to perish
The preterite of perecer is regular: perecí, pereciste, pereció, perecimos, perecisteis, perecieron.
perecer Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for a specific instance where something perished or died at a defined point in time.
Notes on perecer in the Preterite
Perecer is regular in the preterite. It does not use the 'zc' change found in the present tense.
Example Sentences
Mucha gente pereció en el naufragio.
Many people perished in the shipwreck.
él/ella/usted
Perecieron todos los cultivos por la helada.
All the crops perished because of the frost.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Casi perecí de frío anoche.
I almost perished from the cold last night.
yo
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Writing 'perezcó' for the third person.
Correct: pereció
Why: The 'zc' change only happens in the present indicative (yo) and the subjunctive. The preterite follows regular -er endings.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: perezco
The present indicative is regular except for the 'yo' form: perezco.
Imperfect
yo: perecía
The imperfect is regular for -er verbs: perecía, perecías, perecía, perecíamos, perecíais, perecían.
Future
yo: pereceré
The future tense is fully regular: pereceré, perecerás, perecerá, pereceremos, pereceréis, perecerán.
Conditional
yo: perecería
The conditional is regular: perecería, perecerías, perecería, pereceríamos, pereceríais, perecerían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: perezca
The present subjunctive of perecer features a 'z' before the 'c' in all forms: perezca, perezcas, perezca, perezcamos, perezcáis, perezcan.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: pereciera
The imperfect subjunctive is formed from the third-person plural preterite stem: pereciera, perecieras, pereciera, pereciéramos, perecierais, perecieran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: perece
The imperative uses 'perece' (tú) and 'pereced' (vosotros), while other forms use the 'zc' subjunctive stem.
Negative Imperative
yo: no perezcas
The negative imperative always uses the 'zc' subjunctive forms: no perezcas, no perezca, no perezcamos, no perezcáis, no perezcan.