The preterite of actuar is used to express a specific instance of acting or performing in the past, for example El artista actuó en el teatro anoche (The artist performed at the theater last night). This tense emphasizes the completed action at a particular moment.

This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite pattern, with the addition of ‘é’ in the first person singular to maintain proper pronunciation.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Actuar (to act) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The preterite of actuar describes a completed action of acting or performing in the past.

To act/perform: Refers to performing in a show or play, for example Actué en la obra de teatro (I acted in the play) or Actuó muy bien en la película (He/she acted very well in the movie).

To take action: Used for taking action or behaving in a certain way, for example Actuó rápidamente en la emergencia (He/she acted quickly in the emergency).

Examples

Examples of Actuar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

El actor actuó brillantemente en la obra. (The actor performed brilliantly in the play.)

Actué rápidamente en la emergencia. (I acted quickly in the emergency.)

Actuaste con mucha profesionalidad. (You acted very professionally.)

Actuamos según el protocolo establecido. (We acted according to the established protocol.)

Los bomberos actuaron con valentía. (The firefighters acted with bravery.)

Actué en la obra escolar. (I performed in the school play.)

Actuaste de manera responsable. (You acted responsibly.)

La policía actuó con rapidez. (The police acted quickly.)

Actuamos en el festival de teatro. (We performed at the theater festival.)

Los estudiantes actuaron en la ceremonia. (The students performed at the ceremony.)

Actué siguiendo mis principios. (I acted according to my principles.)

Actuaste como un verdadero líder. (You acted like a true leader.)

El equipo médico actuó eficientemente. (The medical team acted efficiently.)

Actuamos en beneficio de la comunidad. (We acted for the benefit of the community.)

Los actores actuaron con naturalidad. (The actors performed naturally.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Actuar (to act) 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.