respaldar Preterite Conjugation
respaldar — to support
The preterite of respaldar is regular: respaldé, respaldaste, respaldó, respaldamos, respaldasteis, respaldaron.
respaldar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for completed actions of supporting someone or something in the past. Think of a specific instance where support was given and finished.
Notes on respaldar in the Preterite
Respaldar is a regular -ar verb and follows the standard conjugation pattern in the preterite.
Example Sentences
Yo respaldé tu candidatura desde el principio.
I supported your candidacy from the beginning.
yo
¿Tú respaldaste la propuesta en la reunión?
Did you support the proposal in the meeting?
tú
Ella respaldó económicamente al artista.
She supported the artist financially.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros respaldamos la decisión del comité.
We supported the committee's decision.
nosotros
Ellos respaldaron el proyecto de ley.
They supported the bill.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single act of support.
Correct: Use 'Yo respaldé la propuesta' (preterite) if you supported it once, not 'Yo respaldaba la propuesta' (imperfect).
Why: The preterite marks a specific, completed action, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: respaldo
The present tense (respaldo, respaldas, etc.) describes current actions, habits, and general truths about support.
Imperfect
yo: respaldaba
The imperfect (respaldaba, respaldabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past support.
Future
yo: respaldaré
The future tense (respaldaré, respaldarás, etc.) indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: respaldaría
The conditional (respaldaría, respaldarías, etc.) expresses 'would' support, politeness, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: respalde
The present subjunctive (respalde, respaldes, etc.) expresses wishes, doubts, emotions, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: respaldara
The imperfect subjunctive (respaldara/respaldase) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: respalda
Use 'respalda' (tú), 'respalde' (usted), 'respaldemos' (nosotros), 'respalden' (ustedes), 'respaldad' (vosotros) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no respaldes
Use 'no respaldes' (tú), 'no respalde' (usted), 'no respaldemos' (nosotros), 'no respalden' (ustedes), 'no respaldéis' (vosotros) for negative commands.