The preterite of cuidar is used to express when someone took care of something or someone in the past. For example, you might say “I took care of my sister’s plants while she was away,” indicating a specific period of caregiving.
This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. All forms are regular, making it easy to learn and use.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Cuidar (to take care of) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | cuidé |
| Tú | cuidaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | cuidó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | cuidamos |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | cuidaron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Cuidar (to take care of) 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 Cuidar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The preterite of cuidar expresses a completed action of taking care of something or someone in the past.
To take care of: Describes looking after someone or something, for example Cuidé a mi hermana enferma (I took care of my sick sister) or Cuidó el jardín durante el verano (He/she took care of the garden during summer).
To look after: Used for protecting or watching over, for example Cuidó la casa mientras estábamos de vacaciones (He/she looked after the house while we were on vacation).
Examples
Examples of Cuidar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
La niñera cuidó a los niños toda la tarde. (The babysitter took care of the children all afternoon.)
Mi hermana cuidó las plantas durante mis vacaciones. (My sister took care of the plants during my vacation.)
El enfermero cuidó al paciente durante la noche. (The nurse took care of the patient during the night.)
La abuela cuidó el jardín con mucho amor. (Grandmother took care of the garden with much love.)
El veterinario cuidó al perro herido. (The veterinarian took care of the injured dog.)
Mi tía cuidó la casa mientras estábamos fuera. (My aunt looked after the house while we were away.)
El guardia cuidó la entrada del edificio. (The guard watched over the building entrance.)
La maestra cuidó a los estudiantes durante el paseo. (The teacher looked after the students during the field trip.)
Mi primo cuidó mi auto el fin de semana. (My cousin took care of my car over the weekend.)
El jardinero cuidó las flores con dedicación. (The gardener tended to the flowers with dedication.)
La voluntaria cuidó a los animales del refugio. (The volunteer took care of the shelter animals.)
El chef cuidó cada detalle del plato. (The chef took care of every detail of the dish.)
Mi amigo cuidó mi mascota durante mi viaje. (My friend looked after my pet during my trip.)
La secretaria cuidó los documentos importantes. (The secretary took care of the important documents.)
El equipo cuidó el material deportivo. (The team took care of the sports equipment.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Cuidar (to take care of) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo cuidé | I took care of |
| Tú cuidaste | You took care of |
| Él / Ella / Usted cuidó | He / She / You took care of |
| Nosotros / Nosotras cuidamos | We took care of |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes cuidaron | They / You all took care of |
This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.