apretaste

Apretaste is the second-person singular form of the Spanish verb apretar in the pretérito indefinido (simple past). It corresponds to the pronoun tú and means “you pressed” or “you squeezed.” The verb apretar generally conveys applying pressure, pushing, tightening, or forcing action, and it can be used in both physical and figurative contexts.

In the pretérite, apretar follows the regular -ar verb endings. The full paradigm in the pretérito indefinido is: yo apreté, tú apretaste, él apretó, nosotros apretamos, vosotros apretasteis, ellos apretaron. Note that the yo form carries an accent (apreté), while apretaste has no accent. The meaning of apretaste depends on the object and context: you pressed a button (apretaste un botón), you tightened a screw (apretaste el tornillo), or you squeezed someone’s hand (apretaste la mano).

Common usages include physical actions as well as idiomatic expressions. Examples: “Ayer apretaste el sello para cerrarlo” (you pressed the seal to close it), “Apretaste la bolsa con fuerza” (you squeezed the bag tightly), and “Apretaste el paso para llegar a tiempo” (you hurried, you quickened your pace). Reflexive forms such as apretarse pueden indicar ajustar o endurecer algo sobre uno mismo, como “apretarse el cinturón” (to tighten one’s belt).

Etymology traces apretar to the Latin premere, through the evolution of Spanish verbs with a prefix-like intensification, yielding meanings related to pressure and compression. Apretaste remains a standard, widely understood form across Spanish-speaking regions.