preparó

Preparó is the simple past tense form of the Spanish verb preparar in the third person singular. It is used when referring to a completed action in the past performed by él, ella, or usted. The acute accent on the final syllable marks the past tense, distinguishing preparó from present tense forms such as preparo (I prepare) or prepara (he/she/you formal prepares).

Conjugation notes

Preterite conjugation for -ar verbs follows a regular pattern: yo preparé, tú preparaste, él/ella/usted preparó, nosotros preparamos, vosotros preparasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes prepararon. The form preparó occurs only in the third person singular in the preterite.

Usage

Preparó describes a completed act of preparing something, often in a specific past context. It can refer to meals, documents, plans, or other preparations. It is commonly used in both formal and informal registers. In questions, forms like ¿Qué preparó usted? or ¿Qué preparó él? ask about the completed action.

Etymology and related forms

Preparar derives from Latin praepārare, ultimately from parare “to prepare,” with the prefix prae- meaning “before.” Related nouns include la preparación (preparation) and el preparativo (preparative). The verb can appear in various tenses and moods beyond the preterite, such as preparaba (imperfect) or prepare (present subjunctive).