contraduje

Contraduje is the first-person singular form in the pretérito indefinido (simple past) of the Spanish verb contraducir. The verb denotes the act of translating something incorrectly or misinterpreting a source text. In linguistic and translation contexts, contradujar is used to describe an error in translation that alters the original meaning or sense.

Etymology and meaning: contraduce derives from the prefix contra- (against) and the root ducir from латín ducere (to lead, to bring). The sense evolved to indicate translating in a way that goes against or distorts the original message. The related noun contraducción names the act or result of mistranslating.

Conjugation: as a verb of the -ducir family, contraducir forms the pretérito indefinido with a stem change to contraduj- in most persons. Relevant forms include: yo contraduje, tú contradujiste, él contradujo, nosotros contradujimos, vosotros contradujisteis, ellos contradujeron. The past participle is contraducido, and the gerund is contraduciendo. In everyday speech, contraduje is comparatively rare outside formal or scholarly writing.

Usage notes: contraduje is appropriate when describing a specific instance of mistranslation carried out by a speaker or translator. It is more technical than general expressions like “traduje mal.” It should not be confused with contradecir or other -dijir/-ducir verbs, which have distinct meanings and conjugation patterns.

See also: contraducción, contradecir, traducir.