The preterite of notar is used to express when someone noticed something at a specific moment in the past. For example, “I noticed the difference immediately” – “Noté la diferencia inmediatamente.”
This is a regular -ar verb in the preterite tense. It follows the standard conjugation pattern without any irregularities or spelling changes.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Notar (to notice) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | noté |
| Tú | notaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | notó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | notamos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | notasteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | notaron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Notar (to notice) 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 Notar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of notar indicates specific moments of noticing or observing.
To notice/observe: Used for specific instances of perception, for example Noté un cambio en su actitud (I noticed a change in their attitude), or Notaron la diferencia (They noticed the difference).
To realize/become aware: Refers to becoming conscious of something, for example Notó que algo estaba mal (She realized something was wrong).
Examples
Examples of Notar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Noté un cambio en su actitud. (I noticed a change in their attitude.)
¿Notaste algo extraño? (Did you notice anything strange?)
Notó que algo no estaba bien. (He/she noticed that something wasn’t right.)
Notamos su ausencia inmediatamente. (We noticed his/her absence immediately.)
Los vecinos notaron el ruido. (The neighbors noticed the noise.)
¿Cuándo notaste el error? (When did you notice the error?)
Noté que había perdido las llaves. (I noticed that I had lost the keys.)
Nadie notó su llegada. (Nobody noticed their arrival.)
Notamos un olor extraño en la cocina. (We noticed a strange smell in the kitchen.)
Los científicos notaron una anomalía. (The scientists noticed an anomaly.)
Notó la diferencia en el sabor. (He/she noticed the difference in taste.)
¿Notaste el nuevo corte de pelo? (Did you notice the new haircut?)
Notamos su nerviosismo durante la presentación. (We noticed their nervousness during the presentation.)
Los estudiantes notaron el cambio en el examen. (The students noticed the change in the exam.)
Noté que estabas preocupado. (I noticed that you were worried.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Notar (to notice) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo noté | I noticed |
| Tú notaste | You noticed |
| Él / Ella / Usted notó | He / She / You (formal) noticed |
| Nosotros / Nosotras notamos | We noticed |
| Vosotros / Vosotras notasteis | You all noticed |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes notaron | They / You all (formal) noticed |
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.