suspirar Preterite Conjugation
suspirar — to sigh
The preterite of suspirar is regular: suspiré, suspiraste, suspiró, suspiramos, suspirasteis, suspiraron.
suspirar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'suspirar' to talk about a sigh that happened and finished at a specific point in the past. For example, 'Suspiré cuando vi la cuenta' (I sighed when I saw the bill).
Notes on suspirar in the Preterite
Suspirar is regular in the preterite tense. All endings follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo suspiré aliviado cuando terminó el examen.
I sighed with relief when the exam ended.
yo
¿Tú suspiraste porque estabas cansado?
Did you sigh because you were tired?
tú
Ella suspiró y se sentó.
She sighed and sat down.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros suspiramos al ver el paisaje.
We sighed upon seeing the landscape.
nosotros
Ellos suspiraron al escuchar la noticia.
They sighed upon hearing the news.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'suspiraba' instead of the preterite 'suspiró' for a single sigh.
Correct: For a single, completed sigh, use 'suspiró'. For repeated or ongoing sighing in the past, use 'suspiraba'.
Why: The preterite marks a completed action, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual actions in the past.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form.
Correct: The correct form is 'suspiré'.
Why: The accent on the final 'é' is crucial for the preterite 'yo' form, indicating stress and distinguishing it from other verb forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: suspiro
The present tense 'suspiro', 'suspiras', etc. is for actions happening now or habitually.
Imperfect
yo: suspiraba
The imperfect 'suspiraba', 'suspirabas', etc. describes ongoing or habitual past sighing.
Future
yo: suspiraré
The future tense 'suspiraré', 'suspirarás', etc. indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: suspiraría
The conditional 'suspiraría', 'suspirarías', etc. expresses 'would' actions or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: suspire
The present subjunctive ('suspiré' / 'suspires' etc.) is for wishes, doubts, emotions, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: suspirara
The imperfect subjunctive ('suspirara' or 'suspirase') is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: suspira
Use 'suspira' and 'suspad' for tú and vosotros commands; 'suspire(n)' for usted(es); 'suspiramos' for nosotros.
Negative Imperative
yo: no suspires
Negative commands use 'no' + present subjunctive: 'no suspire(s/mos/n/is)'.