The preterite of intervenir is used to express a specific instance of intervention in the past, for example La policía intervino en la disputa (The police intervened in the dispute). This tense emphasizes the completed action of intervening at a particular moment.
This is an irregular verb that follows the same pattern as ‘venir’ in the preterite. The stem changes to ‘intervin-‘ throughout its conjugation, following the pattern of other verbs in the ‘venir’ family.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Intervenir (to intervene) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | intervine |
| Tú | interviniste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | intervino |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | intervinimos |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | intervinieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Intervenir (to intervene) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Intervenir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The preterite of intervenir indicates a completed action of intervening or getting involved in the past.
To intervene: Describes taking part in a situation to affect the outcome, for example La policía intervino en la disputa (The police intervened in the dispute) or El gobierno intervino en la crisis (The government intervened in the crisis).
To participate/be involved: Used for taking part in something, for example Intervine en el proyecto desde el principio (I was involved in the project from the beginning).
Examples
Examples of Intervenir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
La policía intervino en la disputa. (The police intervened in the dispute.)
Intervine cuando vi el problema. (I intervened when I saw the problem.)
Interviniste en el momento preciso. (You intervened at the precise moment.)
El mediador intervino en las negociaciones. (The mediator intervened in the negotiations.)
Intervinimos para detener la pelea. (We intervened to stop the fight.)
Los expertos intervinieron en la crisis. (The experts intervened in the crisis.)
Intervine en defensa del estudiante. (I intervened in defense of the student.)
Interviniste en la conversación. (You intervened in the conversation.)
El gobierno intervino en el mercado. (The government intervened in the market.)
Intervinimos en el debate. (We intervened in the debate.)
Los médicos intervinieron rápidamente. (The doctors intervened quickly.)
Intervine para aclarar el malentendido. (I intervened to clarify the misunderstanding.)
Interviniste a favor de la paz. (You intervened in favor of peace.)
El profesor intervino en la discusión. (The professor intervened in the discussion.)
Intervinimos en el conflicto familiar. (We intervened in the family conflict.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Intervenir (to intervene) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo intervine | I intervened |
| Tú interviniste | You intervened |
| Él / Ella / Usted intervino | He / She / You intervened |
| Nosotros / Nosotras intervinimos | We intervened |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes intervinieron | They / You all intervened |
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.