probé

Probé is the first-person singular form of the Spanish verb probar in the preterite indicative. It translates as “I tested” or “I tried” and denotes a completed action in the past. The meaning can involve tasting something, attempting an activity, or trying out an object, a method, or an idea. For example, “Probé la sopa” means I tasted the soup, and “Probé suerte” means I tried my luck.

Conjugation and usage: Probar is a regular -ar verb in the preterite, with the full simple past forms probé, probaste, probó, probamos, probasteis, probaron. The accent on the é marks the stressed syllable in the yo-form. Probé is commonly used in everyday speech to describe past experiences of tasting or attempting something.

Etymology: Probar comes from Latin probare, meaning to test or prove. The sense of testing or trying has remained central in Spanish, with probé occupying the specific past tense form used when the speaker recounts a completed past action.

Notes: While probé primarily covers past tasting or testing, its scope includes trying out ideas, methods, or experiences. In contexts such as fashion or trials, speakers may use other tenses or constructions to indicate different nuances of timing, repetition, or conditionality. Probar and its related forms appear across many Spanish-speaking regions with consistent core meanings, though usage can vary by dialect and register.