defendí

Defendí is the first-person singular form of the Spanish verb defender in the pretérito indefinido (simple past). It translates as “I defended” and is used to describe a completed action of defense or advocacy in the past, whether protecting someone, supporting an argument, or arguing in favor of a position.

Etymology and grammar: Defender comes from Latin defendere. In the pretérito indefinido, the endings for -er verbs are added to the stem defend-, yielding forms such as yo defendí, tú defendiste, él defendió, nosotros defendimos, vosotros defendisteis, ellos defendieron. The accent on the í in defendí marks the stressed syllable in this form.

Usage: Defendí is employed to recount past acts of defense or advocacy. It can describe protecting a person or thing, or arguing to support a point of view. It is common in narrative accounts, reporting, and everyday speech. Examples include: “Defendí mi tesis ante el comité,” “Defendí a mi hermano durante la discusión,” and “Defendí la idea con argumentos sólidos.”

Pronunciation and variation: The word is pronounced de-fen-DÍ, with the stress on the last syllable. Other forms in the same tense, such as defendiste or defendió, follow standard Spanish pronunciation rules and carry their own accents where required.

See also: Defender, pretérito indefinido, Spanish verb conjugation.