sobornar Preterite Conjugation
sobornar — to bribe
Soborné, sobornaste, sobornó, sobornamos, sobornasteis, sobornaron are the completed past actions for 'to bribe'.
sobornar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for actions of bribing that were completed at a specific point in the past. Think of it as a single event or a series of distinct events.
Notes on sobornar in the Preterite
Sobornar is a regular -ar verb in the preterite. All forms follow the standard pattern.
Example Sentences
Ayer, yo soborné al funcionario para agilizar el trámite.
Yesterday, I bribed the official to speed up the process.
yo
¿Tú sobornaste al taxista para que nos llevara rápido?
Did you bribe the taxi driver to take us quickly?
tú
Él sobornó al portero para entrar al club.
He bribed the doorman to enter the club.
él/ella/usted
Ellos sobornaron al jurado para ganar el caso.
They bribed the jury to win the case.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Nosotros sobornamos al camarero para conseguir una buena mesa.
We bribed the waiter to get a good table.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'sobornaba' instead of the preterite 'sobornó' for a single act of bribery.
Correct: Use 'sobornó' for a completed action: 'Él sobornó al guardia'.
Why: The preterite marks a finished action, while the imperfect describes an ongoing or habitual past action.
Mistake: Confusing the 'nosotros' preterite 'sobornamos' with the present indicative 'sobornamos'.
Correct: Context usually clarifies, but be aware they are identical. 'Ayer sobornamos...' (preterite) vs 'Hoy sobornamos...' (present).
Why: This is a common feature of regular -ar verbs in Spanish.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: soborno
Soborno, sobornas, soborna, sobornamos, sobornáis, sobornan describe current or habitual bribery.
Imperfect
yo: sobornaba
Sobornaba, sobornabas, sobornaba, sobornábamos, sobornabais, sobornaban describe ongoing or habitual past bribery.
Future
yo: sobornaré
Sobornaré, sobornarás, sobornará, sobornaremos, sobornaréis, sobornarán predict future bribery.
Conditional
yo: sobornaría
Sobornaría, sobornarías, sobornaría, sobornaríamos, sobornaríais, sobornarían express hypothetical bribery.
Present Subjunctive
yo: soborne
The present subjunctive forms are soborne, sobornes, sobornemos, sobornéis, sobornen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: sobornara
Forms like sobornara or sobornase express hypothetical or past subjunctive situations.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: soborna
Soborna, soborne, sobornemos, sobornad, sobornen are the commands for 'to bribe'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no sobornes
No sobornes, no soborne, no sobornemos, no sobornéis, no sobornen are negative commands for 'to bribe'.