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Conjugation Chart of “Contraer” (to contract) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Contraer”

The preterite of contraer is used to express when someone contracted something or entered into an agreement at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “They contracted a debt last year” – “Contrajeron una deuda el año pasado.”

This is an irregular verb in the preterite tense. Like other compounds of traer, it uses the stem ‘contraj-‘ throughout all forms.

How to Use Contraer in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The Preterite of contraer indicates specific instances of contracting or acquiring.

To contract/acquire: Used for specific instances of getting something, for example Contraje un resfriado (I caught a cold), or Contrajeron una deuda importante (They took on significant debt).

To get married: In formal contexts, means to marry, for example Contrajeron matrimonio en mayo (They got married in May).

Real Life Examples of Contraer in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Contraje un resfriado durante el viaje. (I caught a cold during the trip.)

El atleta contrajo una lesión en el partido. (The athlete sustained an injury in the game.)

Contrajeron matrimonio en primavera. (They got married in spring.)

La empresa contrajo deudas importantes. (The company incurred significant debts.)

Contrajimos un compromiso serio. (We made a serious commitment.)

¿Cuándo contrajiste la enfermedad? (When did you contract the illness?)

El metal se contrajo con el frío. (The metal contracted with the cold.)

Contrajeron obligaciones financieras. (They took on financial obligations.)

La economía se contrajo durante la crisis. (The economy contracted during the crisis.)

Contraje una deuda para comprar la casa. (I took on debt to buy the house.)

El equipo contrajo nuevas responsabilidades. (The team took on new responsibilities.)

Contrajimos un acuerdo comercial. (We entered into a commercial agreement.)

El músculo se contrajo bruscamente. (The muscle contracted suddenly.)

Contrajiste un compromiso importante. (You made an important commitment.)

La pupila se contrajo con la luz. (The pupil contracted with the light.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Contraer (to contract) in the Preterite (Past) 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.