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Conjugation Chart

“Pertenecer” (to belong) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Pertenecer”

The preterite of pertenecer is used to express a period of belonging in the past that has ended. For example, you might say “I belonged to that club for two years,” indicating a specific timeframe of membership.

This is a regular -er verb in the preterite. While it has spelling changes in some tenses, it follows the regular pattern in the preterite.

How to Use Pertenecer in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The preterite of pertenecer indicates a completed period of belonging or ownership in the past.

To belong to: Describes ownership or membership, for example Este libro perteneció a mi abuelo (This book belonged to my grandfather) or Perteneció al club durante diez años (He/she belonged to the club for ten years).

To be part of: Used for indicating past membership or association, for example Perteneció a una banda de música (He/she was part of a music band).

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

Este libro perteneció a mi abuelo. (This book belonged to my grandfather.)

Pertenecí al equipo de fútbol. (I belonged to the soccer team.)

Perteneciste al club de lectura. (You belonged to the book club.)

Pertenecimos al mismo grupo. (We belonged to the same group.)

Los documentos pertenecieron al archivo histórico. (The documents belonged to the historical archive.)

Pertenecí a la asociación estudiantil. (I belonged to the student association.)

Perteneciste al coro de la escuela. (You belonged to the school choir.)

La casa perteneció a una familia antigua. (The house belonged to an old family.)

Pertenecimos al club deportivo. (We belonged to the sports club.)

Esas tierras pertenecieron a mis antepasados. (Those lands belonged to my ancestors.)

Pertenecí al comité organizador. (I belonged to the organizing committee.)

Perteneciste al grupo de teatro. (You belonged to the theater group.)

El cuadro perteneció al museo. (The painting belonged to the museum.)

Pertenecimos a la misma generación. (We belonged to the same generation.)

Las joyas pertenecieron a la corona real. (The jewels belonged to the royal crown.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Pertenecer (to belong) in the Preterite (Past) Tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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.