recortaron

Recortaron is the third-person plural preterite form of the Spanish verb recortar. It denotes a completed action in the past carried out by ellos, ellas, or ustedes. The meaning varies with context: it can mean to cut something physically (recortar papel o tela), to trim or crop digital media (recortar una foto o un video), or to reduce quantities or budgets (recortar gastos).

Recortar is a regular -ar verb formed with the base cortar and the typical verb endings for preterite. In the preterite tense, its forms are yo recorté, tú recortaste, él/ella/usted recortó, nosotros recortamos, vosotros recortasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes recortaron. Therefore recortaron corresponds to the third-person plural in past tense.

Usage notes: in journalism, politics, and economics, recortaron gastos or recortaron el presupuesto is common and means that spending was reduced. In editing or photography, recortaron la imagen or recortaron el video means parts were cropped or trimmed. The construction is typically transitive, with a direct object, but can appear in broader contexts where a pruning or shrinking action is implied.

Examples: Recortaron la foto para eliminar elementos no deseados. Los responsables recortaron el presupuesto anual. También se emplea para acciones físicas como recortaron la tela para ajustarla.

See also: related forms include recorta (present), recortó (preterite singular), y recortado (participle).