pretendía
pre-ten-DEE-ah
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Yo no pretendía ofenderte con mi comentario.
B1I didn't intend to offend you with my comment.
Ella pretendía que todo estaba bien, pero estaba triste.
B2She was claiming that everything was fine, but she was sad.
El candidato pretendía ganar el voto de los jóvenes.
B2The candidate was aiming to win the youth vote.
💡 Grammar Points
Double Identity
In this specific form, 'pretendía' can mean either 'I intended' or 'He/She/It intended.' You'll need to look at the rest of the sentence to know who is being talked about.
The 'Imperfect' Feeling
This form is used for intentions that were ongoing or unfinished in the past, rather than a single completed action.
❌ Common Pitfalls
False Friend Alert!
Mistake: "Using 'pretender' to mean 'to act like' or 'to fake'."
Correction: Use 'fingir' for faking. 'Pretendía' means you had an intention or made a claim, not that you were playing pretend like an actor.
⭐ Usage Tips
Skepticism Marker
When you use 'pretendía' to mean 'claimed,' it often implies that you don't necessarily believe the person's claim.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: pretendía
Question 1 of 2
If someone says 'Yo pretendía ir al cine', what are they saying?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'pretendía' ever mean 'to pretend' in a game?
Almost never. In Spanish, 'pretender' is much more serious. It's about your goals or the things you claim to be true. For games or acting, use 'fingir' or 'imaginar'.
How do I know if 'pretendía' means 'I' or 'He'?
Context is key! If there's no 'Yo' or 'Él' in the sentence, look at the previous sentence to see who the topic is.