pudrieron

Pudrieron is the third-person plural pretérito indefinido form of the Spanish verb pudrir, meaning to rot or spoil. It describes a completed action in the past and is used for both literal deterioration of organic matter and, metaphorically, for ideas, plans, or hopes that have decayed or failed.

Conjugation and usage: Pudrir is an irregular -ir verb. In the preterite tense, the forms are: yo pudrí, tú pudriste, él/ella/usted pudrió, nosotros pudrimos, vosotros pudristeis, ellos/ellas/ustedes pudrieron. The form pudrieron corresponds to “they rotted” or “they spoiled.” It can take a direct object, as in pudrir la comida, or be used in the pronominal form se pudrieron, as in las manzanas se pudrieron.

Examples: Las manzanas se pudrieron en la nevera. El calor pudrió la fruta. Planes que se pudrieron ante la falta de apoyo ilustran un uso metafórico del verbo.

Etymology and related terms: Pudrir derives from Latin putrescere, meaning to rot or decay. Related verbs and forms in Spanish include pudrirse (to rot, to go bad) and terms such as putrefacción, which denotes the process of decay more generally.

See also: pudrirse, putrefacción, pudrimiento (not widely used), and the broader family of words related to decay and decomposition.