Prendimos

Prendimos is the first-person plural preterite indicative form of the Spanish verb prender. Prender has several related meanings depending on the context, including to light or ignite, to turn on a device, to fasten or attach, to arrest or capture, and to attract or seize attention. The preterite form prendimos indicates a completed action in the past by the subject nosotros or nosotras.

Conjugation in the preterite indicative (for reference): prendí, prendiste, prendió, prendimos, prendisteis, prendieron.

Usage notes:

- In the sense of lighting or turning on, prende is used to describe a past action such as lighting a fire or turning on a light: Prendimos la vela cuando se fue la luz. We lit the candle when the power went out. Prendimos la radio para oír las noticias. We turned on the radio to hear the news.

- In contexts of arrest or capture, prende can mean to catch or seize, often used by law enforcement: La policía prendió a varios sospechosos. The police arrested several suspects. The past tense can be used with nosotros when those actions involve the speaker’s group.

- In a figurative sense, prender can mean to attract or grab attention, as in something that “prendió” with an audience.

Etymology and related forms:

Prender belongs to a family of verbs with multiple senses in Spanish, including encender (to light or turn on) and atar o sujetar (to fasten). The exact nuance of prendimos depends on the regional usage and the accompanying objects.

See also: prender, encender, arresto.