The preterite of despertar is used to express a specific moment of waking up in the past. For example, you might say “I woke up at 6 AM today,” indicating the exact moment when you awakened.
This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. The conjugations are straightforward and predictable, making it easy to use in everyday situations.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Despertar (to wake up) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | desperté |
| Tú | despertaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | despertó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | despertamos |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | despertaron |
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We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Despertar (to wake up) 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 Despertar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The preterite of despertar describes a completed action of waking up in the past.
To wake up: Refers to the moment of awakening, for example Me desperté temprano esta mañana (I woke up early this morning) or Se despertó con el ruido (He/she woke up from the noise).
To awaken/arouse: Used figuratively for stirring emotions or interest, for example El discurso despertó mucho interés (The speech aroused much interest).
Examples
Examples of Despertar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Desperté a mi hermano temprano. (I woke my brother up early.)
La alarma me despertó a las seis. (The alarm woke me up at six.)
¿Despertaste a los niños para la escuela? (Did you wake the children up for school?)
El ruido nos despertó a medianoche. (The noise woke us up at midnight.)
Los pájaros despertaron a toda la casa. (The birds woke up the whole house.)
Desperté con el olor a café. (I woke up to the smell of coffee.)
La tormenta despertó al bebé. (The storm woke the baby up.)
Despertamos a todos para ver el amanecer. (We woke everyone up to see the sunrise.)
¿Por qué despertaste tan tarde? (Why did you wake up so late?)
Los truenos despertaron al perro. (The thunder woke the dog up.)
Desperté de un sueño profundo. (I woke up from a deep sleep.)
Mi mamá me despertó para el desayuno. (My mom woke me up for breakfast.)
El teléfono nos despertó en la madrugada. (The phone woke us up at dawn.)
Despertamos al gato sin querer. (We accidentally woke the cat up.)
La música despertó a los vecinos. (The music woke up the neighbors.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Despertar (to wake up) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo desperté | I woke up |
| Tú despertaste | You woke up |
| Él / Ella / Usted despertó | He / She / You woke up |
| Nosotros / Nosotras despertamos | We woke up |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes despertaron | They / You all woke up |
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.