The preterite of aplicar is used to express when you applied something at a specific moment in the past. For example, “I applied for the job last week” – “Apliqué para el trabajo la semana pasada.”

This verb follows the -car spelling-changing pattern in the preterite. The ‘c’ changes to ‘qu’ before ‘e’ to maintain the same sound, which happens in the yo form (apliqué).

Conjugations

Conjugations of Aplicar (to apply) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The Preterite of aplicar indicates specific instances of applying or implementing something.

To apply (concrete action): Used for specific instances of application, for example Apliqué la pomada en la herida (I applied the ointment to the wound), or Aplicaron las nuevas reglas (They implemented the new rules).

To submit an application: Used for job or formal applications, for example Apliqué para el trabajo (I applied for the job).

Examples

Examples of Aplicar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Apliqué la crema solar antes de salir. (I applied sunscreen before going out.)

El doctor aplicó el vendaje con cuidado. (The doctor applied the bandage carefully.)

Aplicaste demasiada presión. (You applied too much pressure.)

Aplicamos nuevas técnicas de estudio. (We applied new study techniques.)

La empresa aplicó cambios significativos. (The company applied significant changes.)

Aplicaron la pintura en capas finas. (They applied the paint in thin layers.)

Apliqué para el trabajo ayer. (I applied for the job yesterday.)

El profesor aplicó reglas más estrictas. (The teacher applied stricter rules.)

Aplicaste los conceptos correctamente. (You applied the concepts correctly.)

Aplicamos el descuento a todos los productos. (We applied the discount to all products.)

Se aplicó la ley con rigor. (The law was applied rigorously.)

Aplicaron sus conocimientos en la práctica. (They applied their knowledge in practice.)

Apliqué los consejos que me diste. (I applied the advice you gave me.)

El artista aplicó los colores con precisión. (The artist applied the colors with precision.)

Aplicaron una nueva capa de barniz. (They applied a new coat of varnish.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Aplicar (to apply) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

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.