sentar Preterite Conjugation
sentar — to sit down
The preterite of sentar is regular: senté, sentaste, sentó, sentamos, sentasteis, sentaron.
sentar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to describe the specific moment someone sat down or when you seated someone (like a guest) at a specific point in time.
Notes on sentar in the Preterite
Unlike the present tense, sentar is completely regular in the preterite. There is no stem change (e > ie) here.
Example Sentences
Me senté en la primera fila.
I sat in the first row.
yo
El camarero nos sentó junto a la ventana.
The waiter seated us by the window.
él/ella/usted
¿Por qué no se sentaron ustedes?
Why didn't you all sit down?
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using a stem change like 'sinté' or 'sienté'.
Correct: senté
Why: Sentar only has a stem change in the present indicative, present subjunctive, and imperative. The preterite stays regular.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: siento
Sentar is a stem-changing verb (e > ie) in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect
yo: sentaba
The imperfect of sentar is regular: sentaba, sentabas, sentaba, sentábamos, sentabais, sentaban.
Future
yo: sentaré
The future of sentar is regular: sentaré, sentarás, sentará, sentaremos, sentaréis, sentarán.
Conditional
yo: sentaría
The conditional of sentar is regular: sentaría, sentarías, sentaría, sentaríamos, sentaríais, sentarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: sienta
Sentar follows the e > ie stem change in the subjunctive, except for nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: sentara
The imperfect subjunctive of sentar is regular: sentara, sentaras, sentara, sentáramos, sentarais, sentaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: sienta
The imperative uses the stem change (e > ie) for most commands: siente, sentad, sienten.
Negative Imperative
yo: no sientas
The negative imperative uses the present subjunctive forms: no sientes, no siente, no sentemos, no sentéis, no sienten.