The preterite of disminuir is used to express when something decreased at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “The temperature decreased suddenly” – “La temperatura disminuyó repentinamente.”
This verb follows the -uir spelling-changing pattern in the preterite. It adds a ‘y’ before the ending in the third person singular and plural forms (disminuyó, disminuyeron).
Conjugations
Conjugations of Disminuir (to decrease) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | disminuí |
| Tú | disminuiste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | disminuyó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | disminuimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | disminuisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | disminuyeron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Disminuir (to decrease) 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 Disminuir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of disminuir indicates completed actions of decrease or reduction.
To decrease/reduce: Used for completed reductions, for example El ruido disminuyó gradualmente (The noise decreased gradually), or Disminuimos los gastos el mes pasado (We reduced expenses last month).
To lessen/diminish: Describes reduction in intensity or quantity, for example La lluvia disminuyó al anochecer (The rain diminished at nightfall).
Examples
Examples of Disminuir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
La temperatura disminuyó significativamente. (The temperature decreased significantly.)
Los precios disminuyeron durante las rebajas. (Prices decreased during the sales.)
El ruido disminuyó por la noche. (The noise decreased at night.)
Disminuí mi consumo de azúcar. (I reduced my sugar consumption.)
Disminuyeron los casos de gripe este año. (Flu cases decreased this year.)
La empresa disminuyó sus gastos. (The company reduced its expenses.)
Disminuiste tu ritmo de trabajo. (You decreased your work pace.)
El dolor disminuyó después de tomar la medicina. (The pain decreased after taking the medicine.)
Disminuimos la velocidad en la curva. (We decreased speed at the curve.)
La contaminación disminuyó notablemente. (Pollution decreased notably.)
Disminuyeron las horas de trabajo. (Working hours decreased.)
El tráfico disminuyó durante las vacaciones. (Traffic decreased during the holidays.)
Disminuí el volumen de la música. (I turned down the volume of the music.)
La tensión disminuyó después de la reunión. (The tension decreased after the meeting.)
Disminuyeron las ventas este mes. (Sales decreased this month.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Disminuir (to decrease) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo disminuí | I decreased |
| Tú disminuiste | You decreased |
| Él / Ella / Usted disminuyó | He / She / You (formal) decreased |
| Nosotros / Nosotras disminuimos | We decreased |
| Vosotros / Vosotras disminuisteis | You all decreased |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes disminuyeron | They / You all (formal) decreased |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American 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.