contó

Contó is the third-person singular form of the Spanish verb contar in the preterite (simple past) tense of the indicative mood. It is used to express that someone told or recounted something, or that someone counted numbers, depending on the context. In narrative usage, contó often introduces events or details that were completed in the past, while in counting usage it refers to performing a tally.

Conjugation in the preterite is as follows: yo conté, tú contaste, él/ella/usted contó, nosotros contamos, vosotros contasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes contaron. The accent on contó marks the preterite tense and distinguishes it from other forms such as conté. This accent pattern is typical for many -ar verbs in the preterite tense.

Usage notes and examples: Contó una historia, meaning he told a story, or contó lo ocurrido, meaning he recounted what happened. Contó hasta diez signifies that he counted up to ten. In broader narrative contexts, contó can be complemented by direct objects, indirect objects, or subordinate clauses to specify what was told or what was counted.

Etymology and meaning development: Contar derives from Latin computare, with the core sense shifting from counting or calculating to telling or recounting stories over time. The preterite form contó reflects this verb’s full past-tense paradigm in modern Spanish, enabling speakers to place actions firmly in a completed past narrative. Contó remains a common and versatile form in everyday Spanish.