Inducir Preterite Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The preterite tense of inducir — “to induce” in English — is the form you need for what is finished and done. This page gives you the full preterite conjugation table for inducir with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Inducir means to induce or to lead to, and it is used for inducing sleep, inducing a decision, and leading someone to do something: inducir al sueño, inducir a error. It is a -ducir verb: the present is induzco, the preterite is built on induj-, and the subjunctive is induzca. To see it in a real sentence: Ayer, induje a error con datos falsos. — “Yesterday, I induced error with false data.”
Preterite tense conjugation table: inducir
Every person of inducir in the preterite tense. The gerund is induciendo and the past participle is inducido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | induje |
| tú | indujiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | indujo |
| nosotros/as | indujimos |
| vosotros/as | indujisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | indujeron |
The gerund is induciendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy induciendo” means the action of inducir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is inducido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he inducido” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the preterite is only one part of how inducir is used.
How the preterite of inducir is formed
The preterite of inducir is built from the stem induj plus the preterite endings for -ir verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ir ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -í | induje |
| tú | -iste | indujiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | -ió | indujo |
| nosotros/as | -imos | indujimos |
| vosotros/as | -isteis | indujisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -ieron | indujeron |
inducir is not fully regular in form: this verb is a -ducir verb: the present first person is induzco, the preterite is built on the stem induj- (induje, indujo), and the present subjunctive is induzca. The endings in the table above are the regular -ir endings, so once you know the pattern, the whole tense follows. The forms that show the pattern most clearly are induje and indujo.
The gerund of inducir is induciendo and the past participle is inducido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the preterite of inducir
The preterite is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use inducir in the preterite most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. One finished action
The preterite of inducir reports one action that started and finished in the past. The action is complete, counted as a single event, and the tense says so. Time words such as ayer, anoche and el año pasado point to the preterite.
Example: “Ayer, yo induje al sueño con música suave.” — Yesterday, I induced sleep with soft music.
2. A specific moment
When something happened at one specific moment, the preterite is the tense to use. It places the action at a point on the timeline, not spread out over a period, and the sentence moves on to what happened next.
Example: “Él indujo a error con datos falsos.” — He induced error with false data.
3. A completed change
The preterite describes changes that are finished: something became different, and the change is done. inducir in the preterite marks the moment the change happened, rather than the process leading up to it.
Example: “Él indujo a la calma con palabras.” — He induced calm with words.
4. A sequence of events
In a story, the preterite moves the action forward from one event to the next. Each preterite form is one step in the sequence, which is why narratives in the past are built mostly from preterite verbs, with the imperfect used only for background.
Example: “Nosotros indujimos al cambio con su ejemplo.” — We induced change with his example.
5. A closed time frame
The preterite is the tense of finished periods of time. When the action happened inside a period that is now over — ayer, la semana pasada, en 2019 — the preterite is the right choice, and inducir follows the same rule.
Example: “El año pasado, yo induje a error con datos falsos.” — Last year, I induced error with false data.
The preterite vs the imperfect: how to choose
The closest tense to the preterite is the imperfect, and choosing between them is one of the hardest decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the preterite reports one finished action, while the imperfect describes background, habits in the past, or an action that was in progress when something else happened. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is finished and counted, or ongoing and descriptive. Time words help: ayer and de repente point to the preterite, while mientras and todos los días in the past point to the imperfect.
Preterite: “Induje al sueño con música suave.” — I induced sleep with soft music.
Imperfect: “Inducía al sueño con música suave.” — I used to induce sleep with soft music.
The preterite sentence counts one finished action; the imperfect sentence describes how things used to be. That difference — finished event versus background — is the whole decision.
Preterite: “Indujo a error con datos falsos.” — He/she induced error with false data.
Imperfect: “Inducía a error con datos falsos.” — He/she used to induce error with false data.
The preterite sentence counts one finished action; the imperfect sentence describes how things used to be. That difference — finished event versus background — is the whole decision.
Preterite: “Indujimos a la calma con palabras.” — We induced calm with words.
Imperfect: “Inducíamos a la calma con palabras.” — We used to induce calm with words.
The preterite sentence counts one finished action; the imperfect sentence describes how things used to be. That difference — finished event versus background — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: inducir in the preterite
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Induje al sueño con música suave.” — I induced sleep with soft music.
“Indujiste a error con datos falsos.” — You induced error with false data.
“Indujo a la calma con palabras.” — He/she induced calm with words.
“Indujimos al cambio con su ejemplo.” — We induced change with his example.
“Indujisteis al sueño con música suave.” — You induced sleep with soft music.
“Indujeron a error con datos falsos.” — They induced error with false data.
“Induje a la calma con palabras.” — I induced calm with words.
“Indujo al cambio con su ejemplo.” — He/she induced change with his example.
Common mistakes with inducir in the preterite
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo indujo al sueño con música suave.” Right: “Yo induje al sueño con música suave.” Why: Yo needs the yo form induje. The form indujo belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo inducir a error con datos falsos.” Right: “Yo induje a error con datos falsos.” Why: The infinitive inducir cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving induje.
Wrong: “De niño, yo induje a la calma con palabras todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo inducía a la calma con palabras todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (inducía), not the preterite. The preterite is for one finished action.
Wrong: “Ellos indujo a error con datos falsos.” Right: “Ellos indujeron a error con datos falsos.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form indujeron. The singular indujo belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: inducir in the preterite
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ___ al sueño con música suave.”
- (a) induje
- (b) indujiste
- (c) indujo
Answer: induje — The yo form of inducir in the preterite is induje.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ a error con datos falsos.”
- (a) induje
- (b) indujo
- (c) indujiste
Answer: indujiste — The tú form of inducir in the preterite is indujiste.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ a la calma con palabras.”
- (a) indujiste
- (b) indujo
- (c) induje
Answer: indujo — The él/ella form of inducir in the preterite is indujo.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ al cambio con su ejemplo.”
- (a) indujimos
- (b) induje
- (c) indujiste
Answer: indujimos — The nosotros/as form of inducir in the preterite is indujimos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ al sueño con música suave.”
- (a) induje
- (b) indujiste
- (c) indujisteis
Answer: indujisteis — The vosotros/as form of inducir in the preterite is indujisteis.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ a error con datos falsos.”
- (a) indujiste
- (b) indujeron
- (c) induje
Answer: indujeron — The ellos/ellas form of inducir in the preterite is indujeron.
7. What does inducir mean in English?
- (a) to induce
- (b) to provoke, to cause
- (c) to be about
Answer: to induce — Inducir means to induce.
8. Which sentence is in the preterite?
- (a) Induciré al sueño con música suave.
- (b) Induzco al sueño con música suave.
- (c) Induje al sueño con música suave.
Answer: Induje al sueño con música suave. — “Induje al sueño con música suave.” is in the preterite. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is inducir regular in the preterite?
Inducir is a spelling-change verb in the preterite: it is a -ducir verb: the present first person is induzco, the preterite is built on the stem induj- (induje, indujo), and the present subjunctive is induzca. The endings are the regular -ir endings, so the table above follows the pattern exactly.
What is the gerund and the past participle of inducir?
The gerund is induciendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy induciendo. The past participle is inducido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he inducido.
What should I watch out for with inducir?
Inducir is a -ducir verb: yo induzco, yo induje, subjunctive induzca. Learn the three stems together. In the preterite, the form to fix in your memory first is induje, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise inducir in the preterite?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the inducir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of inducir — every tense of inducir in one place.
- Inducir examples and quiz — more sentences with inducir and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish preterite guide — how the preterite works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Preterite conjugator — conjugate any verb in the preterite instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on inducir and other verbs.