sentenciar Preterite Conjugation
sentenciar — to sentence
The preterite of sentenciar describes completed actions like 'the judge sentenced'.
sentenciar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to talk about a specific, completed action of sentencing in the past. It focuses on the act itself as a finished event.
Notes on sentenciar in the Preterite
Sentenciar is regular in the preterite, following the standard conjugation pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
El juez sentenció al acusado ayer.
The judge sentenced the accused yesterday.
él/ella/usted
Yo sentencié al personaje en el videojuego.
I sentenced the character in the video game.
yo
¿Sentenciaste tú el caso rápidamente?
Did you sentence the case quickly?
tú
Nosotros sentenciamos la propuesta en la reunión.
We sentenced the proposal in the meeting.
nosotros
Ellos sentenciaron la película por su final.
They sentenced the movie for its ending.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single, completed sentencing.
Correct: Use 'sentenció' (preterite) for 'The judge sentenced him', not 'sentenciaba'.
Why: The preterite marks a specific, finished event, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'sentenció'.
Correct: The third-person singular form 'sentenció' requires an accent on the 'o'.
Why: The accent indicates the stressed syllable in this specific form.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: sentencio
The present tense of sentenciar means 'to sentence' or 'sentences' currently.
Imperfect
yo: sentenciaba
The imperfect of sentenciar describes ongoing or habitual sentencing in the past.
Future
yo: sentenciaré
The future tense of sentenciar expresses 'will sentence'.
Conditional
yo: sentenciaría
The conditional of sentenciar means 'would sentence'.
Present Subjunctive
yo: sentencie
The present subjunctive (sentencie, sentencies, etc.) follows expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: sentenciara
The imperfect subjunctive (sentenciara/sentenciase) is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: sentencia
Commands like 'sentence him!' or 'let's sentence!' use the imperative of sentenciar.
Negative Imperative
yo: no sentencies
Negative commands like 'don't sentence him!' use the negative imperative of sentenciar.