saldar Preterite Conjugation
saldar — to pay off
The preterite of saldar describes completed past actions: saldé, saldaste, saldó, saldamos, saldasteis, saldaron.
saldar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of saldar for actions of paying off or settling that were completed at a specific point in the past. Think of it as closing a chapter on a debt or agreement.
Notes on saldar in the Preterite
Saldar is regular in the preterite. All verb endings follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Ayer saldé mi tarjeta de crédito.
Yesterday I paid off my credit card.
yo
¿Saldaste tu parte de la cuenta?
Did you pay your share of the bill?
tú
Él saldó la deuda familiar el mes pasado.
He settled the family debt last month.
él/ella/usted
Finalmente saldamos nuestros compromisos.
We finally settled our commitments.
nosotros
Ellos saldaron el contrato en la fecha acordada.
They finalized the contract on the agreed date.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single, completed action.
Correct: For a one-time payoff, use preterite: 'Saldaba mi deuda' is wrong; use 'Saldé mi deuda'.
Why: The preterite marks completed actions, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'saldó' and 'saldé'.
Correct: Remember the accents: 'saldó' (él/ella/usted) and 'saldé' (yo).
Why: These accents distinguish these forms and indicate the stressed syllable.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: saldo
The present tense of saldar indicates current actions or habits: saldo, saldas, salda, saldamos, saldáis, saldan.
Imperfect
yo: saldaba
The imperfect of saldar describes ongoing or habitual past actions: saldaba, saldabas, saldábamos, saldaban.
Future
yo: saldaré
The future tense of saldar indicates actions that will happen: saldaré, saldarás, saldará, saldaremos, saldaréis, saldarán.
Conditional
yo: saldaría
The conditional of saldar expresses hypothetical actions ('would pay off'): saldaría, saldarías, saldaríamos, saldarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: salde
The present subjunctive of saldar is used for wishes, doubts, and recommendations: salde, saldes, saldemos, salden.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: saldara
The imperfect subjunctive of saldar expresses past hypotheticals or wishes: saldara, saldaras, saldáramos, saldaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: salda
The imperative of saldar gives direct commands: salda (tú), salde (usted), saldemos (nosotros), salden (ustedes), saldad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no saldes
Negative commands for saldar use the present subjunctive: no saldes (tú), no salde (usted), no saldemos (nosotros), no salden (ustedes), no saldéis (vosotros).