contraté
kohn-trah-TEH
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Ayer contraté a un nuevo jardinero.
A2Yesterday I hired a new gardener.
Contraté el servicio de internet más rápido.
B1I signed up for (contracted) the fastest internet service.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'I' Past Tense
The 'é' ending tells you that 'I' performed the action in the past. It only works for verbs ending in -ar.
The Personal 'a'
When you hire a specific person, you must put 'a' before their name or title. Example: 'Contraté a María'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Missing Accent
Mistake: "contrate"
Correction: contraté
⭐ Usage Tips
Hiring Services
You can use this for people (employees) but also for services like Netflix, electricity, or internet plans.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: contraté
Question 1 of 1
What does 'Contraté a un abogado' mean?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'contraté' formal?
It is neutral. You can use it in a business email or when chatting with friends about a new worker.
Can I use 'contraté' for renting a car?
Usually, for cars or apartments, 'alquilé' is better. 'Contraté' is for people or ongoing services like phone plans.