contaron

Contaron is the third-person plural form of the Spanish verb contar in the preterite tense. It is used to express that a group performed the action in the past, and the specific meaning depends on the context. Contar can mean to count numbers or to tell a story, among other senses, so contaron can translate as “they counted” or “they told (a story).”

Examples illustrate the two main uses. "Ayer, los niños contaron las monedas" means they counted the coins. "Anoche contaron un cuento" means they told a story. The intended sense is determined by the object or surrounding phrasing; counting typically involves numbers or quantities, while telling involves a narrative.

Etymology and related forms: contar comes from Latin computare, with a semantic shift from counting or calculating to narrating a story in many Romance languages. Contaron is part of a regular -ar verb conjugation in the preterite, alongside otras forms such as conté, contaste, contó, contamos, cuentan. Related nouns and verbs include cuento (story), cuenta (count or account), and cuentan (they count).

Other usages: contaron can appear in idiomatic constructions like contar con, meaning "to rely on" or "to count on" someone, as in "contaron con la ayuda" (they relied on the help). As a verb form, contaron is common across literature, journalism, and everyday speech in Spanish-speaking contexts.