The preterite of respirar is used to express a specific instance of breathing, usually after a notable event or moment of exertion. For example, “I breathed deeply after running” – “Respiré profundamente después de correr.”

This verb follows the regular -ar conjugation pattern in the preterite tense. The stem remains unchanged throughout all conjugations.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Respirar (to breathe) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The Preterite of respirar indicates completed actions of breathing.

To breathe: Used for specific instances of breathing, for example Respiré profundamente antes de hablar (I breathed deeply before speaking).

To take a breath/pause: Describes taking a specific breath, for example Respiró aliviada al ver los resultados (She breathed relieved upon seeing the results).

Examples

Examples of Respirar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Respiré profundamente antes del discurso. (I took a deep breath before the speech.)

El paciente respiró con dificultad. (The patient breathed with difficulty.)

Respiraste aliviado cuando terminó. (You breathed relieved when it was over.)

Respiramos el aire fresco de la montaña. (We breathed the fresh mountain air.)

Los buzos respiraron oxígeno comprimido. (The divers breathed compressed oxygen.)

Por fin respiró tranquilo. (Finally, he breathed easily.)

Respiraste mejor después del tratamiento. (You breathed better after the treatment.)

Respiré hondo para calmarme. (I took a deep breath to calm down.)

El bebé respiró por primera vez. (The baby breathed for the first time.)

Respiramos aire puro en el campo. (We breathed clean air in the countryside.)

Respiraron con alivio al ver los resultados. (They breathed with relief upon seeing the results.)

Respiré el aroma del café recién hecho. (I breathed in the aroma of fresh coffee.)

El atleta respiró agitadamente después de la carrera. (The athlete breathed heavily after the race.)

Respiraste el perfume de las flores. (You breathed in the fragrance of the flowers.)

Respiraron el aire marino. (They breathed the sea air.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Respirar (to breathe) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

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.