triunfar Preterite Conjugation
triunfar — to succeed
The preterite of triunfar is regular: triunfé, triunfaste, triunfó, triunfamos, triunfasteis, triunfaron, marking completed past successes.
triunfar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'triunfar' to talk about a specific instance of succeeding that has a clear beginning and end in the past. Think of a single achievement.
Notes on triunfar in the Preterite
Triunfar is regular in the preterite. All endings follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo triunfé en el concurso de talentos.
I succeeded in the talent show.
yo
¿Tú triunfaste en la entrevista?
Did you succeed in the interview?
tú
Ella triunfó en su negocio el año pasado.
She succeeded in her business last year.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros triunfamos en el proyecto final.
We succeeded in the final project.
nosotros
Ellos triunfaron al final de la temporada.
They succeeded at the end of the season.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'triunfaba' instead of the preterite 'triunfó' for a single past success.
Correct: For a one-time success, say 'Ella triunfó', not 'Ella triunfaba'.
Why: The preterite marks completed, specific past actions, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'triunfó' (él/ella/usted) and 'triunfé' (yo).
Correct: The forms are 'triunfó' and 'triunfé', with accents on the final 'o' and 'e'.
Why: The accents indicate the stressed syllable and distinguish these forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: triunfo
The present tense of triunfar (triunfo, triunfas, triunfa, etc.) describes current or habitual success.
Imperfect
yo: triunfaba
The imperfect of triunfar (triunfaba, triunfabas, etc.) describes past habits or ongoing situations of success.
Future
yo: triunfaré
The future tense of triunfar (triunfaré, triunfarás, etc.) indicates future success or probability.
Conditional
yo: triunfaría
The conditional of triunfar (triunfaría, triunfarías, etc.) expresses hypothetical success ('would succeed').
Present Subjunctive
yo: triunfe
The present subjunctive of triunfar (triunfe, triunfes, etc.) is used for wishes, doubts, emotions, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: triunfara
The imperfect subjunctive of triunfar (triunfara/triunfase) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: triunfa
Imperative commands for triunfar: triunfa (tú), triunfe (usted), triunfemos (nosotros), triunfemos (ustedes), triunfad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no triunfes
Negative commands for triunfar use the present subjunctive: no triunfes (tú), no triunfe (usted), no triunfemos (nosotros), no triunfen (ustedes), no triunféis (vosotros).