The preterite of reconocer is used to express when someone recognized something or someone at a specific moment in the past. For example, “I recognized him immediately” – “Lo reconocí inmediatamente.”
This verb follows the regular -er conjugation pattern in the preterite tense. Despite being derived from ‘conocer’, it maintains regular conjugation in the preterite.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Reconocer (to recognize) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | reconocí |
| Tú | reconociste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | reconoció |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | reconocimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | reconocisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | reconocieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Reconocer (to recognize) 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 Reconocer in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of reconocer indicates specific moments of recognition or acknowledgment.
To recognize/identify: Describes instances of recognizing someone or something, for example Lo reconocí inmediatamente (I recognized him immediately), or Reconocieron su error (They acknowledged their mistake).
To acknowledge/admit: Used for accepting or admitting something, for example Reconoció su culpa (They admitted their guilt).
Examples
Examples of Reconocer in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Finalmente reconocí mi error y me disculpé. (I finally recognized my mistake and apologized.)
El artista reconoció su influencia en la obra. (The artist acknowledged their influence on the work.)
¿Reconociste a alguien en la fiesta? (Did you recognize anyone at the party?)
Reconocimos su talento desde el principio. (We recognized their talent from the beginning.)
Los críticos reconocieron la calidad de la película. (The critics recognized the quality of the film.)
No reconocí tu voz por teléfono. (I didn’t recognize your voice on the phone.)
La academia reconoció sus logros con un premio. (The academy recognized their achievements with an award.)
Reconociste inmediatamente la melodía. (You immediately recognized the melody.)
Reconocimos la urgencia de la situación. (We recognized the urgency of the situation.)
Apenas lo reconocí después de tantos años. (I barely recognized him after so many years.)
El gobierno reconoció oficialmente el nuevo estado. (The government officially recognized the new state.)
Reconocieron su contribución a la ciencia. (They recognized his contribution to science.)
No reconociste las señales de advertencia. (You didn’t recognize the warning signs.)
Reconocí su letra en el sobre. (I recognized their handwriting on the envelope.)
Por fin reconocieron sus derechos laborales. (They finally recognized their labor rights.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Reconocer (to recognize) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo reconocí | I recognized |
| Tú reconociste | You recognized |
| Él / Ella / Usted reconoció | He / She / You (formal) recognized |
| Nosotros / Nosotras reconocimos | We recognized |
| Vosotros / Vosotras reconocisteis | You all recognized |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes reconocieron | They / You all (formal) recognized |
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.