The preterite of sobresalir is used to express a specific instance of standing out or excelling in the past, for example El estudiante sobresalió en el examen (The student stood out in the exam). This tense emphasizes the completed action of excelling at a particular moment.
This is a regular -ir verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. Despite its meaning being related to ‘salir’, it conjugates regularly in the preterite tense.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Sobresalir (to stand out) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | sobresalí |
| Tú | sobresaliste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | sobresalió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | sobresalimos |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | sobresalieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Sobresalir (to stand out) 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 Sobresalir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The preterite of sobresalir expresses a completed action of standing out or excelling in the past.
To stand out/excel: Describes distinguishing oneself from others, for example Sobresalió entre todos los estudiantes (He/she stood out among all the students) or Sobresalieron por su trabajo excepcional (They excelled due to their exceptional work).
To protrude/stick out: Used for physical prominence, for example La torre sobresalió sobre los demás edificios (The tower stood out above the other buildings).
Examples
Examples of Sobresalir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Sobresalí en matemáticas este semestre. (I stood out in mathematics this semester.)
Sobresaliste entre todos los candidatos. (You stood out among all the candidates.)
El artista sobresalió por su creatividad. (The artist stood out for their creativity.)
Sobresalimos en la competencia nacional. (We stood out in the national competition.)
Los atletas sobresalieron en los juegos. (The athletes stood out in the games.)
Sobresalí por mi trabajo en equipo. (I stood out for my teamwork.)
Sobresaliste en la presentación final. (You stood out in the final presentation.)
Su talento sobresalió en el concierto. (Their talent stood out at the concert.)
Sobresalimos por nuestro esfuerzo. (We stood out for our effort.)
Los proyectos sobresalieron por su innovación. (The projects stood out for their innovation.)
Sobresalí en el debate escolar. (I stood out in the school debate.)
Sobresaliste por tu liderazgo. (You stood out for your leadership.)
El edificio sobresalió en el paisaje urbano. (The building stood out in the urban landscape.)
Sobresalimos en la feria de ciencias. (We stood out at the science fair.)
Sus ideas sobresalieron en la reunión. (Their ideas stood out in the meeting.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Sobresalir (to stand out) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo sobresalí | I stood out |
| Tú sobresaliste | You stood out |
| Él / Ella / Usted sobresalió | He / She / You stood out |
| Nosotros / Nosotras sobresalimos | We stood out |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes sobresalieron | They / You all stood out |
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.