The preterite of quejar is used to express a specific instance of complaining in the past, for example Se quejó del servicio en el restaurante (He complained about the service at the restaurant). This tense emphasizes the completed action of complaining at a particular moment.

This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. It’s typically used reflexively as quejarse (to complain).

Conjugations

Conjugations of Quejar (to complain) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The preterite of quejar describes a completed action of complaining in the past.

To complain: Describes expressing dissatisfaction, for example Me quejé al gerente sobre el servicio (I complained to the manager about the service) or Se quejó del ruido (He/she complained about the noise).

To file a complaint: Used for formal complaints, for example Se quejó formalmente ante la compañía (He/she filed a formal complaint with the company).

Examples

Examples of Quejar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Me quejé del servicio en el restaurante. (I complained about the service at the restaurant.)

Te quejaste del ruido de los vecinos. (You complained about the neighbors’ noise.)

El cliente se quejó de la calidad. (The customer complained about the quality.)

Nos quejamos del retraso del vuelo. (We complained about the flight delay.)

Los estudiantes se quejaron del examen. (The students complained about the exam.)

Me quejé del dolor de espalda. (I complained about back pain.)

Te quejaste de la mala señal. (You complained about the poor signal.)

El paciente se quejó de los síntomas. (The patient complained about the symptoms.)

Nos quejamos de la falta de aire acondicionado. (We complained about the lack of air conditioning.)

Los empleados se quejaron del salario. (The employees complained about the salary.)

Me quejé de la lentitud del internet. (I complained about the slow internet.)

Te quejaste del mal tiempo. (You complained about the bad weather.)

La inquilina se quejó de las goteras. (The tenant complained about the leaks.)

Nos quejamos del precio alto. (We complained about the high price.)

Los pasajeros se quejaron del servicio. (The passengers complained about the service.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Quejar (to complain) in the Preterite (Past) Tense 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.