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Conjugation Chart of “Picar” (to chop/sting) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Picar”

The preterite of picar is used to express a specific instance of chopping or stinging in the past, for example La abeja me picó en el brazo (The bee stung me in the arm). This tense emphasizes the completed action at a particular moment.

This verb requires a spelling change in the first person singular, where ‘c’ changes to ‘qu’ before ‘é’ to maintain the hard ‘k’ sound. Otherwise, it follows the regular -ar verb pattern in the preterite.

How to Use Picar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The preterite of picar indicates a completed action of stinging, biting, or chopping in the past.

To sting/bite: Describes an insect bite or sting, for example Me picó un mosquito (A mosquito bit me) or La abeja le picó en el brazo (The bee stung him/her on the arm).

To chop/cut: Used for cutting food into small pieces, for example Piqué las verduras para la sopa (I chopped the vegetables for the soup).

To be spicy: Used to describe food being spicy, for example La salsa picó mucho (The sauce was very spicy).

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

El chef picó las verduras finamente. (The chef chopped the vegetables finely.)

La abeja me picó en el brazo. (The bee stung me in the arm.)

Piqué los tomates para la salsa. (I chopped the tomatoes for the sauce.)

Picaste la cebolla muy rápido. (You chopped the onion very quickly.)

El mosquito me picó anoche. (The mosquito bit me last night.)

Picamos el ajo para el aderezo. (We chopped the garlic for the dressing.)

Los cocineros picaron toda la carne. (The cooks chopped all the meat.)

Piqué el chile para la salsa. (I chopped the chili for the sauce.)

Picaste el pan para las migas. (You chopped the bread for breadcrumbs.)

La serpiente picó al ratón. (The snake bit the mouse.)

Picamos hielo para las bebidas. (We crushed ice for the drinks.)

Los insectos picaron a los turistas. (The insects bit the tourists.)

Piqué el perejil muy fino. (I chopped the parsley very finely.)

Picaste la fruta para la ensalada. (You chopped the fruit for the salad.)

El chef picó el chocolate en trozos. (The chef chopped the chocolate into pieces.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Picar (to chop/sting) 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.