Pertenecí

Pertenecí is a Spanish verb form. It is the first-person singular imperfect indicative of the verb "pertenecer." The verb "pertenecer" means to belong, to be a part of, or to be a member of something. Therefore, "pertenecí" translates to "I belonged," "I was a part of," or "I was a member of" in English.

This verb tense, the imperfect indicative, is used to describe past actions or states that were ongoing, habitual, or descriptive in nature, rather than completed single events. For example, one might say "Yo pertenecí al club de ajedrez durante cinco años" which translates to "I belonged to the chess club for five years." This indicates a continuous membership over a period of time in the past. Another example could be "Antes, pertenecí a un grupo que se reunía los domingos" meaning "Before, I was part of a group that met on Sundays," implying a past, habitual activity.

The imperfect tense is crucial in Spanish for distinguishing between actions that were happening versus actions that were completed. "Pertenecí" specifically refers to the speaker's past affiliation or membership in a particular group, organization, place, or context, emphasizing the duration or continuous nature of that belonging. It is not used for a single, completed act of joining or leaving, for which other verb tenses would be more appropriate.