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Conjugation Chart of “Cobrar” (to charge/collect) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Cobrar”

The preterite of cobrar is used to express a specific instance of charging or collecting payment in the past, for example Cobré mi primer sueldo ayer (I collected my first paycheck yesterday). This tense emphasizes the completed action of collecting payment at a particular moment.

This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. Its straightforward conjugation makes it an excellent example for practicing regular preterite forms.

How to Use Cobrar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The preterite of cobrar indicates a completed action of charging or collecting payment in the past.

To charge/collect payment: Describes receiving money owed, for example Cobré mi primer sueldo (I collected my first paycheck) or Cobró la deuda pendiente (He/she collected the pending debt).

To gain/acquire: Used for gaining something abstract, for example Cobró importancia con el tiempo (It gained importance over time).

Real Life Examples of Cobrar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Cobré mi primer sueldo ayer. (I collected my first paycheck yesterday.)

El banco cobró la comisión mensual. (The bank charged the monthly fee.)

Cobraste más de lo acordado. (You charged more than agreed.)

Cobramos por el servicio completo. (We charged for the complete service.)

Los comerciantes cobraron precios justos. (The merchants charged fair prices.)

El artista cobró por su actuación. (The artist charged for their performance.)

Cobré el cheque en el banco. (I cashed the check at the bank.)

Cobraste la indemnización. (You collected the compensation.)

La empresa cobró la factura pendiente. (The company collected the pending invoice.)

Cobramos las horas extras. (We collected overtime pay.)

Los músicos cobraron por el concierto. (The musicians charged for the concert.)

Cobré la deuda antigua. (I collected the old debt.)

Cobraste el premio de la lotería. (You collected the lottery prize.)

El mecánico cobró por las reparaciones. (The mechanic charged for the repairs.)

Cobramos el adelanto del proyecto. (We collected the project advance.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Cobrar (to charge/collect) in the Preterite (Past) 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.