The preterite of aprobar is used to express when you approved or passed something at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “I passed the exam last week” – “Aprobé el examen la semana pasada.”
This verb follows the regular -ar conjugation pattern in the preterite tense, making it straightforward to conjugate using standard -ar endings.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Aprobar (to approve/pass) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | aprobé |
| Tú | aprobaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | aprobó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | aprobamos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | aprobasteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | aprobaron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Aprobar (to approve/pass) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Aprobar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of aprobar expresses specific instances of approval or passing.
To approve: Used for giving formal approval, for example Aprobaron el presupuesto (They approved the budget), or El jefe aprobó mi propuesta (The boss approved my proposal).
To pass (an exam): Indicates passing a test or examination, for example Aprobé todos mis exámenes (I passed all my exams).
Examples
Examples of Aprobar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Aprobé todos mis exámenes finales. (I passed all my final exams.)
¿Aprobaste el examen de conducir? (Did you pass the driving test?)
El congreso aprobó la nueva ley. (Congress approved the new law.)
Aprobamos el presupuesto anual. (We approved the annual budget.)
Los estudiantes aprobaron el curso. (The students passed the course.)
El comité aprobó la propuesta. (The committee approved the proposal.)
Aprobaste con muy buena nota. (You passed with a very good grade.)
Aprobé el examen de matemáticas. (I passed the math exam.)
El banco aprobó el préstamo. (The bank approved the loan.)
Aprobamos los cambios sugeridos. (We approved the suggested changes.)
Los directores aprobaron el nuevo proyecto. (The directors approved the new project.)
¿Cómo aprobaste sin estudiar? (How did you pass without studying?)
El gobierno aprobó el decreto. (The government approved the decree.)
Aprobamos la moción por unanimidad. (We approved the motion unanimously.)
Finalmente aprobé el examen de idioma. (I finally passed the language exam.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Aprobar (to approve/pass) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo aprobé | I approved |
| Tú aprobaste | You approved |
| Él / Ella / Usted aprobó | He / She / You (formal) approved |
| Nosotros / Nosotras aprobamos | We approved |
| Vosotros / Vosotras aprobasteis | You all approved |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes aprobaron | They / You all (formal) approved |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.