pregunté
preh-goon-TAY
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Pregunté por la hora en la calle.
A1I asked for the time on the street.
Yo pregunté si el museo abría los domingos.
A2I asked if the museum opened on Sundays.
Le pregunté directamente por qué llegó tarde.
B1I asked him directly why he arrived late.
💡 Grammar Points
The Preterite Tense
This form, 'pregunté,' is used for actions that started and finished cleanly in the past, like a single event or a checklist item. Think of it as 'I did ask.'
Yo Form Accent
The accent mark on the 'é' is essential! It tells you that the stress falls on the last syllable, which is the pattern for the 'yo' (I) form in the simple past (preterite) tense for all -ar verbs.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Asking vs. Requesting
Mistake: "I asked for the water: 'Pregunté el agua.'"
Correction: Use 'pedí el agua.' Remember: 'preguntar' is for questions or information; 'pedir' is for things or requests.
⭐ Usage Tips
Asking 'About' Someone
When you ask about a person or topic, you must use the preposition 'por': 'Pregunté por Juan' (I asked about Juan).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: pregunté
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'pregunté'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'pregunté' a command?
No, 'pregunté' is the simple past tense (preterite) meaning 'I asked.' The command form for 'usted' (you formal) is 'pregunte' (without the accent).
Do I need to include 'yo' when I say 'pregunté'?
Usually, no. Because the ending '-é' only ever belongs to the 'yo' (I) form in this tense, the word itself is enough to tell the listener who performed the action. You only add 'yo' for emphasis or clarity.