ayudé
ah-yoo-DEH
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Ayer, yo ayudé a mi vecino con sus cajas pesadas.
A1Yesterday, I helped my neighbor with his heavy boxes.
Cuando me llamaste, ya había ayudé a mi hermano a estudiar.
A2When you called me, I had already helped my brother study.
Con un poco de esfuerzo, ayudé a que el proyecto terminara a tiempo.
B1With a bit of effort, I helped the project finish on time.
💡 Grammar Points
The Accent Mark is Key
The accent on the 'é' in 'ayudé' tells you immediately that this action happened and finished in the past, and that the speaker ('I') did it. Without the accent, the word doesn't exist in this form.
Using 'A' Before People
When you help a person, you must put the word 'a' right before their name or title. For example: 'Ayudé a mi padre' (I helped my father).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Past Tenses
Mistake: "Using 'ayudaba' when describing a single, completed action, like 'Ayer ayudaba a mi amigo.'"
Correction: Use 'ayudé' (the preterite tense) for actions that have a clear beginning and end in the past: 'Ayer *ayudé* a mi amigo.' (Yesterday, I helped my friend, and the helping is finished.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Focus on Completion
'Ayudé' is used when the act of helping is fully finished, like checking an item off a list. If you were describing how you used to help or helping over a long, undefined period, you would use 'ayudaba'.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: ayudé
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'ayudé'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'ayudé' have an accent mark?
The accent mark on the 'e' is essential to show that the stress falls on the last syllable, which is the standard pattern for the 'yo' form of regular -ar verbs in the simple past tense (preterite). It helps you pronounce it correctly (ah-yoo-DEH) and tells the listener exactly when the action happened.
If I want to say 'He helped,' what word should I use?
You would use 'ayudó' (with an accent on the final 'o'). Remember, the simple past tense forms for 'yo' and 'él/ella/usted' both have accents to mark the completion of the action.