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Conjugation Chart of “Alcanzar” (to reach/catch up) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Alcanzar”

The preterite of alcanzar is used to express a specific instance of reaching or catching up to something in the past, for example Alcancé el último tren de la noche (I caught the last train of the night). This tense emphasizes the completed action of reaching at a particular moment.

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

How to Use Alcanzar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The preterite of alcanzar indicates a completed action of reaching or achieving in the past.

To reach/catch up: Describes physically or metaphorically reaching something, for example Alcancé el último tren (I caught the last train) or Alcanzaron la meta propuesta (They reached their proposed goal).

To achieve/attain: Used for accomplishing goals, for example Alcanzó el éxito que buscaba (He/she achieved the success they were looking for).

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

Alcancé la meta que me propuse. (I reached the goal I set for myself.)

Alcanzaste el tren justo a tiempo. (You caught up with the train just in time.)

El atleta alcanzó un nuevo récord. (The athlete reached a new record.)

Alcanzamos la cima de la montaña. (We reached the mountain peak.)

Los corredores alcanzaron la línea final. (The runners reached the finish line.)

Alcancé el último libro en el estante. (I reached the last book on the shelf.)

Alcanzaste el nivel máximo. (You reached the maximum level.)

El proyecto alcanzó sus objetivos. (The project reached its objectives.)

Alcanzamos un acuerdo importante. (We reached an important agreement.)

Las ventas alcanzaron cifras récord. (Sales reached record figures.)

Alcancé al grupo después de correr. (I caught up with the group after running.)

Alcanzaste tu sueño profesional. (You reached your professional dream.)

La empresa alcanzó el éxito esperado. (The company reached the expected success.)

Alcanzamos la costa antes del anochecer. (We reached the coast before nightfall.)

Los estudiantes alcanzaron excelentes resultados. (The students achieved excellent results.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Alcanzar (to reach/catch up) 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.