intenté

Intenté is the first-person singular form of the Spanish verb intentar in the preterite tense (pretérito perfecto simple). It translates to "I tried" or "I attempted" in English. The verb intentar means to attempt or to try, to make an effort to achieve something. Intenté is used to describe a completed attempt in the past.

Conjugation and usage notes: In the preterite, the forms are yo intenté, tú intentaste, él/ella/usted intentó, nosotros intentamos, vosotros intentasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes intentaron. The accent on the final syllable marks the stressed pronunciation as dictated by Spanish orthography. Intentaré is the future form, and intentaba is the imperfect form, both related to the same verb root.

Common usage and nuance: Intenté is typically followed by an infinitive or a clause indicating what was attempted, as in "Intenté llamar" (I tried to call) or "Intenté terminar el informe, pero no tuve tiempo." It can imply varying outcomes depending on context, from a failed attempt to a mere effort that did not fully succeed. Synonyms or near-synonyms include tratar de and probar, though each carries subtle nuances regarding effort, outcome, or method.

Related forms and semantics: The noun intento means "an attempt" or "an intention." The verb has cognates and related terms in Spanish such as intención (intention) and intentar (to attempt). Intenté specifically captures a completed action in the past by the speaker.