desalentaste

Desalentaste is the second-person singular form of the Spanish verb desalentar in the pretérito indefinido (pretérito simple). It translates to “you discouraged” or “you disheartened” in English and is used to describe a completed action in the past in which the subject caused discouragement in another person or group.

Etymology and meaning: The verb is formed from des- (prefix indicating reversal) and alentar (to encourage). Desalentar means to remove encouragement, dampen morale, or reduce someone’s motivation or confidence.

Usage and function: Desalentar is a transitive verb that requires a direct object referring to the person or thing affected (often introduced by a or a noun). It is common in contexts such as sports, projects, or personal conversations, where someone’s remarks or circumstances reduce others’ enthusiasm. Examples: “Tú desalentaste a los participantes con tus críticas.” “La noticia desalentó al equipo.”

Conjugation note: In the pretérito indefinido, the major forms are: yo desalenté, tú desalentaste, él desalentó, nosotros desalentamos, vosotros desalentasteis, ellos desalentaron. The verb is regular for -ar conjugation patterns, with the expected stress shifts.

Related terms: desalento (noun, discouragement), desánimo, alentar (to encourage). The pair alentar/desalentar highlights the contrast between sending or removing encouragement.

See also: desaliento, desánimo.