dispensaste

Dispensaste is the second-person singular form of the Spanish verb dispensar in the pretérito indefinido (preterite). It is used to indicate a completed action in the past, corresponding to "you dispensed" in English. Depending on context, dispensar can also mean to exempt, excuse, or waive a requirement, in which case dispensaste would translate as "you exempted" or "you waived" in informal speech.

Dispensar is a regular -ar verb. In the preterite, its endings are: yo dispensé, tú dispensaste, él/ella/usted dispensó, nosotros dispensamos, vosotros dispensasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes dispensaron. The form dispensaste appears in narratives and dialogues in which the familiar form of address (tú) is used.

Common uses include dispensing medications or supplies, for example: “Ayer dispensaste las pastillas a los pacientes según la receta.” It can also appear in non-medical senses, such as distributing goods, or in contexts meaning to exempt or release from duties, as in “dispensaste de la tarea” (you exempted from the task).

Etymology traces dispensar to Latin dispénsāre, from dis- (apart, apart) and pensāre (to weigh), originally meaning to weigh out, distribute, or arrange. In modern Spanish, the sense most often encountered is to distribute or to provide medications, though the broader sense of exempting or waiving can also apply depending on usage.