Prepararse Preterite (Past) Tense in Latin American Spanish

The preterite of prepararse is used to express a specific instance of getting ready in the past. For example, you might say “I got ready for the party in just 30 minutes,” indicating when the preparation was completed.

This is a regular -ar reflexive verb, which means it uses reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos) with the standard preterite conjugation pattern.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Prepararse (to get ready) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Pronoun Conjugation
Yome preparé
te preparaste
Él / Ella / Ustedse preparó
Nosotros / Nosotrasnos preparamos
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedesse prepararon

Boost Your Memorization with Audio!

We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Prepararse (to get ready) 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 Prepararse in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The preterite of prepararse describes a completed action of getting ready or preparing oneself in the past.

To get ready: Describes preparing oneself for something, for example Me preparé para el examen (I prepared myself for the exam) or Se prepararon para la fiesta (They got ready for the party).

To prepare oneself: Used for making preparations, for example Me preparé mentalmente para la entrevista (I prepared myself mentally for the interview).

Examples

Examples of Prepararse in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Me preparé toda la noche para el examen. (I got ready all night for the exam.)

¿Te preparaste bien para la entrevista? (Did you get ready well for the interview?)

El equipo se preparó durante meses para el campeonato. (The team got ready for months for the championship.)

Nos preparamos rápidamente para la reunión sorpresa. (We got ready quickly for the surprise meeting.)

Los atletas se prepararon física y mentalmente. (The athletes got ready physically and mentally.)

Me preparé un café antes de salir. (I got ready a coffee before leaving.)

¿Por qué no te preparaste para la presentación? (Why didn’t you get ready for the presentation?)

La novia se preparó durante horas para la boda. (The bride got ready for hours for the wedding.)

Nos preparamos toda la semana para la audición. (We got ready all week for the audition.)

Los estudiantes se prepararon bien para el examen final. (The students got ready well for the final exam.)

Me preparé una cena rápida después del trabajo. (I got ready a quick dinner after work.)

El actor se preparó durante meses para el papel. (The actor got ready for months for the role.)

Nos preparamos para lo peor durante la tormenta. (We got ready for the worst during the storm.)

¿Cómo te preparaste para la maratón? (How did you get ready for the marathon?)

Los novios se prepararon con anticipación para la boda. (The bride and groom got ready in advance for the wedding.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Prepararse (to get ready) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

Spanish English
Yo me preparé I got ready
Tú te preparaste You got ready
Él / Ella / Usted se preparó He / She / You got ready
Nosotros / Nosotras nos preparamos We got ready
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes se prepararon They / You all got ready

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.