registrar Preterite Conjugation
registrar — to record
The preterite of registrar is regular: registré, registraste, registró, registramos, registrasteis, registraron.
registrar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to talk about a specific, completed action of recording in the past. For example, 'Registré la llamada ayer' (I recorded the call yesterday) or 'Registraron la casa' (They searched the house – a completed action).
Notes on registrar in the Preterite
Registrar is regular in the preterite. The 'nosotros' form 'registramos' is identical to the present indicative; context usually clarifies which tense is meant.
Example Sentences
Ayer registré todos los gastos del viaje.
Yesterday I recorded all the trip expenses.
yo
¿Registraste la fecha de la reunión?
Did you record the date of the meeting?
tú
El policía registró el coche sospechoso.
The police officer searched the suspicious car.
él/ella/usted
Registramos la temperatura cada hora.
We recorded the temperature every hour.
nosotros
Ellos registraron la casa en busca de pruebas.
They searched the house for evidence.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of preterite for a single completed action.
Correct: Say 'Registré la llamada' (I recorded the call) not 'Registraba la llamada' (I used to record / was recording the call).
Why: The preterite marks a finished event, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'registró' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: The form is 'registró' with an accent on the 'o'.
Why: The accent is crucial for pronunciation and distinguishes it from other forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: registro
The present tense 'registro', 'registras', 'registra', etc., is for current actions, habits, or general truths about recording.
Imperfect
yo: registraba
The imperfect 'registraba' describes ongoing or habitual past actions of recording.
Future
yo: registraré
The future tense 'registraré', 'registrarás', etc., states what will be recorded.
Conditional
yo: registraría
The conditional 'registraría' expresses hypothetical 'would' actions, polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: registre
Use 'registre' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'registren' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: registrara
The imperfect subjunctive forms like 'registrara' or 'registrara' are used for past hypotheticals or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: registra
Use the imperative 'registra' (tú) and 'registren' (ustedes) for direct commands to record.
Negative Imperative
yo: no registres
Use 'no registres' (tú) and 'no registren' (ustedes) with 'no' to forbid recording.