terrificasteis

Terrificasteis is the second-person plural pretérito indefinido (simple past) form of the Spanish verb terrificar, meaning "you all terrified" or "you frightened." It is used when addressing a group that uses the vosotros form, which is common in Spain and some regions, while in many Latin American dialects the corresponding preterite is formed with ustedes as "terrificaron."

Grammatical notes: terrificar is a regular -ar verb, so its pretérito indefinido endings follow the standard pattern: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron. The form "terrificasteis" follows the regular vosotros ending. There is a spelling change in the first-person singular (terrifiqué) to preserve the hard c before the é, but the vosotros form remains regular. The verb is transitive, so it requires a direct object: "terrificasteis a alguien" or "terrificasteis a los invitados," for example.

Etymology and related forms: terrificar derives from the root terror, with the derivational suffix -ificar, meaning “to make terrible” or “to frighten.” It comes from Latin structures that gave rise to similar formations in Romance languages. A closely related concept in English is the word terrific, which shares the same Latin root but has diverged in meaning over time.

Usage context: In Spain, terrificasteis is a natural choice when describing past actions by a group addressed with vosotros. In many other Spanish-speaking regions, ustedes is used instead, yielding "terrificaron" for the past tense. Examples illustrate both the form and its sense of causing fear or astonishment.