rehusar Preterite Conjugation
rehusar — to refuse
The preterite of 'rehusar' is regular: rehusé, rehusaste, rehusó, rehusamos, rehusasteis, rehusaron.
rehusar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'rehusar' to talk about a specific instance in the past when someone refused something. It implies the action of refusing was completed.
Notes on rehusar in the Preterite
'Rehusar' is a regular -ar verb and follows all standard conjugation patterns in the preterite tense.
Example Sentences
Yo rehusé la oferta de trabajo.
I refused the job offer.
yo
¿Tú rehusaste hablar con él?
Did you refuse to speak with him?
tú
Ella rehusó participar en el proyecto.
She refused to participate in the project.
él/ella/usted
Ellos rehusaron el pago.
They refused the payment.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'rehusaba' instead of the preterite 'rehusó'.
Correct: For a single completed act of refusal, use 'rehusó' (preterite), not 'rehusaba' (imperfect).
Why: The preterite marks a specific, finished action, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'rehusó'.
Correct: The él/ella/usted form is 'rehusó', with an accent on the 'ó'.
Why: The accent on the final 'o' indicates the stressed syllable and distinguishes it from other potential forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: rehúso
The present tense of 'rehusar' is regular: rehúso, rehúsas, rehúsa, rehusamos, rehusáis, rehúsan.
Imperfect
yo: rehusaba
The imperfect of 'rehusar' is regular: rehusaba, rehusabas, rehusaba, rehusábamos, rehusabais, rehusaban.
Future
yo: rehusaré
The future tense of 'rehusar' is regular: rehusaré, rehusarás, rehusará, rehusaremos, rehusaréis, rehusarán.
Conditional
yo: rehusaría
The conditional of 'rehusar' is regular: rehusaría, rehusarías, rehusaría, rehusaríamos, rehusaríais, rehusarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: rehúse
The present subjunctive of 'rehusar' (rehúse, rehúses, etc.) expresses doubt, desire, or emotion about refusing.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: rehusara
The imperfect subjunctive of 'rehusar' (rehusara/rehusase) is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: rehúsa
Rehúsa (tú) and rehusad (vosotros) are the irregular commands for 'rehusar'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no rehúses
Negative commands for 'rehusar' use 'no' + the present subjunctive.