confundimos

Confundimos is a Spanish verb form that serves as both the present indicative and the preterite in the first-person plural of the verb confundir. In ordinary usage, it translates as “we confuse” in the present tense and “we confused” in the past; the exact tense is determined by the surrounding context, since the spelling is identical in both tenses.

Etymology and meaning: Confundir comes from Latin confundere, meaning to pour together or mingle, which expanded in modern Spanish to cover senses such as to confuse, mix up, mistake, or misidentify. The core sense across uses is combining or blending elements in a way that causes lack of clarity or misrecognition.

Grammar and usage: Confundimos is a transitive verb form and typically requires a direct object, as in confundimos las palabras (we confuse the words) or confundimos dos imágenes (we mix up two images). It can also appear in reflexive constructions with a related meaning, for example nos confundimos (we get confused). The same form appears in the preterite for past actions: ayer confundimos las ideas (yesterday we confused the ideas). Due to identical spelling, distinguishing present versus past relies on temporal adverbs or context.

Examples and nuance: Confundimos dos conceptos similares, por lo que cometimos un error de interpretación. We often use confundirse (reflexive) to express becoming confused oneself, as in nos confundimos con las instrucciones.

See also: confundir, confundido, confundirse.