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Conjugation Chart of “Establecer” (to establish) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Establecer”

The preterite of establecer is used to express a specific instance of establishing something in the past, for example La compañía estableció una nueva sucursal el año pasado (The company established a new branch last year). This tense emphasizes the completed action at a particular moment.

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

How to Use Establecer in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The preterite of establecer describes a completed action of establishing or setting up something in the past.

To establish/set up: Describes founding or creating something new, for example Establecieron una nueva empresa (They established a new company) or Se estableció en la ciudad hace años (He/she settled in the city years ago).

To set/determine: Used for setting rules or standards, for example El comité estableció nuevas normas (The committee established new rules).

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

Establecí nuevas reglas en la oficina. (I established new rules in the office.)

Estableciste un negocio exitoso. (You established a successful business.)

La compañía estableció una nueva sede. (The company established a new headquarters.)

Establecimos buenos hábitos de estudio. (We established good study habits.)

Los fundadores establecieron la organización. (The founders established the organization.)

Establecí una rutina diaria. (I established a daily routine.)

Estableciste contactos importantes. (You established important contacts.)

El gobierno estableció nuevas políticas. (The government established new policies.)

Establecimos una fecha límite. (We established a deadline.)

Los científicos establecieron una nueva teoría. (The scientists established a new theory.)

Establecí prioridades claras. (I established clear priorities.)

Estableciste un récord mundial. (You established a world record.)

La universidad estableció un nuevo programa. (The university established a new program.)

Establecimos una conexión fuerte. (We established a strong connection.)

Los países establecieron relaciones diplomáticas. (The countries established diplomatic relations.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Establecer (to establish) 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.