romper Preterite Conjugation
romper — to break
The preterite of romper is regular: rompí, rompiste, rompió, rompimos, rompisteis, rompieron.
romper Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite when something breaks at a specific point in time or for a completed event, like breaking a record or a bone.
Notes on romper in the Preterite
Romper is completely regular in the preterite indicative. Be careful not to confuse the regular past tense 'rompió' with the irregular past participle 'roto'.
Example Sentences
Ayer rompí mi taza favorita.
Yesterday I broke my favorite mug.
yo
Él rompió el récord mundial de velocidad.
He broke the world speed record.
él/ella/usted
Ellos rompieron la ventana con la pelota.
They broke the window with the ball.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'rompido' instead of 'rompí' for the past action.
Correct: Yo rompí el vaso.
Why: Learners often confuse the preterite with the past participle. While the participle is irregular (roto), the preterite is regular.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: rompo
The present tense of romper is regular: rompo, rompes, rompe, rompemos, rompéis, rompen.
Imperfect
yo: rompía
The imperfect of romper is regular: rompía, rompías, rompía, rompíamos, rompíais, rompían.
Future
yo: romperé
The future tense of romper is regular: romperé, romperás, romperá, romperemos, romperéis, romperán.
Conditional
yo: rompería
The conditional of romper is regular: rompería, romperías, rompería, romperíamos, romperíais, romperían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: rompa
The present subjunctive of romper is regular: rompa, rompas, rompa, rompamos, rompáis, rompan.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: rompiera
The imperfect subjunctive of romper is regular: rompiera, rompieras, rompiera, rompiéramos, rompierais, rompieran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: rompe
The affirmative imperative of romper: rompe (tú), rompa (usted), romped (vosotros), rompan (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no rompas
The negative imperative of romper uses the present subjunctive: no rompas, no rompa, no rompamos, no rompáis, no rompan.