relatar Preterite Conjugation
relatar — to tell
The preterite of 'relatar' is regular: relaté, relataste, relató, relatamos, relatasteis, relataron.
relatar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'relatar' for completed actions of telling something in the past. For example, 'Él relató la historia ayer' means 'He told the story yesterday.' It emphasizes that the act of telling has a defined beginning and end.
Notes on relatar in the Preterite
Relatar is fully regular in the preterite tense. All verb endings follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Ayer relaté mi aventura a mis amigos.
Yesterday I told my adventure to my friends.
yo
¿Tú relataste los detalles del incidente?
Did you tell the details of the incident?
tú
Ella relató su experiencia en el extranjero.
She told about her experience abroad.
él/ella/usted
Los abuelos relataron cuentos a los niños.
The grandparents told stories to the children.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'relataba' instead of the preterite 'relató'.
Correct: Use 'relató' for a specific instance of telling a story.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, while the preterite marks a single, completed event.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'relató' (usted form).
Correct: The third-person singular form is 'relató' with an accent on the 'o'.
Why: The accent distinguishes it from other similar verb forms and indicates stress.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: relato
The present tense 'relato', 'relatas', 'relata' is used for current or habitual telling.
Imperfect
yo: relataba
The imperfect 'relataba' describes past storytelling that was ongoing or habitual.
Future
yo: relataré
The future tense 'relataré' and 'relatarán' indicates telling that will happen.
Conditional
yo: relataría
The conditional 'relataría' is for hypothetical or polite storytelling.
Present Subjunctive
yo: relate
Present subjunctive forms like 'relate' and 'relaten' follow expressions of doubt or desire.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: relatara
The imperfect subjunctive (relatara/relatase) is for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: relata
Use imperative forms like 'relata' and 'relaten' for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no relates
Negative commands like 'no relates' and 'no relaten' use the present subjunctive.