The preterite of detenerse is used to express a specific instance of stopping oneself in the past, for example Me detuve antes de cruzar la calle (I stopped before crossing the street). This reflexive verb emphasizes the completed action of stopping at a particular moment.

This is an irregular reflexive verb that follows the same pattern as ‘tener’ in the preterite, with the addition of reflexive pronouns. Remember to match the reflexive pronoun with the subject.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Detenerse (to stop oneself) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The preterite of detenerse indicates a completed action of stopping or coming to a halt in the past.

To stop/halt: Describes coming to a stop, for example Me detuve en el semáforo rojo (I stopped at the red light) or El tren se detuvo en la estación (The train stopped at the station).

To pause/break: Used for taking a break from an activity, for example Se detuvo a descansar durante la caminata (He/she stopped to rest during the hike).

Examples

Examples of Detenerse in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Me detuve al ver la señal roja. (I stopped when I saw the red light.)

Te detuviste a descansar en el parque. (You stopped to rest in the park.)

El tren se detuvo en la estación. (The train stopped at the station.)

Nos detuvimos a admirar el paisaje. (We stopped to admire the landscape.)

Los corredores se detuvieron al escuchar el silbato. (The runners stopped when they heard the whistle.)

Me detuve antes de cometer un error. (I stopped before making a mistake.)

Te detuviste a pensar en las consecuencias. (You stopped to think about the consequences.)

El reloj se detuvo a medianoche. (The clock stopped at midnight.)

Nos detuvimos para tomar fotos. (We stopped to take pictures.)

Los músicos se detuvieron al terminar la canción. (The musicians stopped when the song ended.)

Me detuve a comprar café. (I stopped to buy coffee.)

Te detuviste a saludar a tus amigos. (You stopped to greet your friends.)

El auto se detuvo en el semáforo. (The car stopped at the traffic light.)

Nos detuvimos a almorzar en el camino. (We stopped to have lunch on the way.)

Los turistas se detuvieron frente al monumento. (The tourists stopped in front of the monument.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Detenerse (to stop oneself) 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.