Oponer in the Preterite Tense
Oponer means “to oppose”, and this page covers exactly one thing: oponer in the preterite tense. The preterite is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what is finished and done. On this page you will find the full preterite table for oponer, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the imperfect, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about oponer in the preterite. For example: “Ayer, yo opuse resistencia al proyecto.” — Yesterday, I opposed resistance to the project. Everything on this page uses the forms of oponer exactly as they are conjugated in the preterite, so you can trust every form you see here.
Oponer in the Preterite Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | opuse |
| tú | opusiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | opuso |
| nosotros/as | opusimos |
| vosotros/as | opusisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | opusieron |
Gerund: oponiendo · Past participle: opuesto
The gerund is oponiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy oponiendo” means the action of oponer is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is opuesto, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he opuesto” 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 oponer is used.
How the preterite of oponer is formed
Oponer does not use one regular stem in this tense, so the forms below do not follow the simple stem + endings pattern. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of poner, with a -g- in the present (as in compongo), a -s- stem in the preterite (as in compuse), and an irregular participle (as in compuesto). Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. Learn the six forms as a set: yo opuse, tú opusiste, él/ella/Ud. opuso, nosotros/as opusimos, vosotros/as opusisteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. opusieron.
The irregularity of oponer is in its past participle, opuesto, not in the preterite, so the table above is the whole story for this tense. Remember the participle for the perfect tenses: he opuesto, has opuesto, ha opuesto.
When to use the preterite of oponer
The preterite is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use oponer 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 reports a single action that started and finished in the past. The action is done, counted once, and the story moves on. Example: “Ayer, yo opuse resistencia al proyecto.” — Yesterday, I opposed resistance to the project.
2. A sequence of events
In a story, each preterite form is one step forward in time. When several things happened one after another, the preterite lists them in order. Example: “Nosotros opusimos su opinión a la propuesta.” — We opposed his opinion to the proposal.
3. A specific time marker
Time words such as ayer, anoche, el año pasado and la semana pasada point to the preterite. They name a finished moment, and the verb must match. Example: “Él opuso una objeción en la reunión ayer.” — He opposed an objection in the meeting yesterday.
4. A sudden change or interruption
The preterite describes sudden changes and interruptions: something happened, and the situation was different afterwards. Example: “Ellos opusieron fuerza a la decisión de repente.” — They opposed force to the decision suddenly.
5. A completed time frame
When an action took place inside a period of time that is now over, the preterite is the right tense, because the period itself is finished. Example: “Tú opusiste resistencia al proyecto la semana pasada.” — You opposed resistance to the project last week.
Preterite Tense vs 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 Tense: “Ayer, yo opuse resistencia al proyecto.” — Yesterday, I opposed resistance to the project.
Imperfect: “Yo oponía resistencia al proyecto cada día.” — I used to oppose resistance to the project every day.
The preterite sentence reports one finished action; the imperfect sentence describes a habit in the past. Ayer points to the preterite, cada día in the past points to the imperfect.
Preterite Tense: “Anoche, él opuso su opinión a la propuesta.” — Last night, he opposed his opinion to the proposal.
Imperfect: “Él oponía su opinión a la propuesta todos los días.” — He used to oppose his opinion to the proposal every day.
Anoche names one finished night, so the preterite is right; todos los días in the past describes a routine, so the imperfect is right.
Preterite Tense: “Nosotros opusimos una objeción en la reunión ayer.” — We opposed an objection in the meeting yesterday.
Imperfect: “Nosotros oponíamos una objeción en la reunión cuando éramos jóvenes.” — We used to oppose an objection in the meeting when we were young.
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: oponer 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.
“Opuse resistencia al proyecto.” — I opposed resistance to the project.
“Opusiste su opinión a la propuesta.” — You opposed his opinion to the proposal.
“Opuso una objeción en la reunión.” — He/she opposed an objection in the meeting.
“Opusimos fuerza a la decisión.” — We opposed force to the decision.
“Opusisteis resistencia al proyecto.” — You opposed resistance to the project.
“Opusieron su opinión a la propuesta.” — They opposed his opinion to the proposal.
“Opuse una objeción en la reunión.” — I opposed an objection in the meeting.
“Opuso fuerza a la decisión.” — He/she opposed force to the decision.
Common mistakes with oponer 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: “Ellos opuso resistencia al proyecto.” Right: “Ellos opusieron resistencia al proyecto.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form opusieron. The singular opuso belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Wrong: “Ayer yo oponí su opinión a la propuesta.” Right: “Ayer yo opuse su opinión a la propuesta.” Why: Oponer has an irregular preterite: the correct first-person form is opuse, not the regular oponí.
Wrong: “Nosotros opusiste una objeción en la reunión.” Right: “Nosotros opusimos una objeción en la reunión.” Why: Nosotros needs opusimos. The tú form opusiste belongs with tú.
Wrong: “Ellos opuse fuerza a la decisión.” Right: “Ellos opusieron fuerza a la decisión.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form opusieron, not the yo form opuse.
Quiz: oponer 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 ______ resistencia al proyecto.” (Resistance to the project.)
- (a) opuse
- (b) opusiste
- (c) opuso
Answer: opuse — The yo form of oponer in the preterite is opuse. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ su opinión a la propuesta?” (His opinion to the proposal.)
- (a) opuse
- (b) opuso
- (c) opusiste
Answer: opusiste — The tú form of oponer in the preterite is opusiste. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ una objeción en la reunión.” (An objection in the meeting.)
- (a) opusiste
- (b) opuso
- (c) opuse
Answer: opuso — The él/ella/Ud. form of oponer in the preterite is opuso. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ fuerza a la decisión.” (Force to the decision.)
- (a) opusimos
- (b) opuse
- (c) opusiste
Answer: opusimos — The nosotros/as form of oponer in the preterite is opusimos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
5. What is the vosotros/as form of oponer in the preterite?
- (a) opuse
- (b) opusiste
- (c) opusisteis
Answer: opusisteis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes opusisteis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros opusisteis resistencia al proyecto.” to fix it in your memory.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ su opinión a la propuesta.” (His opinion to the proposal.)
- (a) opusiste
- (b) opusieron
- (c) opuse
Answer: opusieron — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of oponer in the preterite is opusieron. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
7. Which is the correct yo form of oponer in the preterite?
- (a) opuse
- (b) opusiste
- (c) opuso
Answer: opuse — The yo form is opuse. The other two options are the forms for other persons.
8. Which sentence describes one finished action in the past?
- (a) Yo oponía resistencia al proyecto cada día.
- (b) Mañana, yo opondré resistencia al proyecto.
- (c) Ayer, yo opuse resistencia al proyecto.
Answer: Ayer, yo opuse resistencia al proyecto. — “Ayer, yo opuse resistencia al proyecto.” reports a single completed event, so it takes the preterite. The second option describes background or a past habit, and the third looks to the future.
Frequently asked questions
Is oponer regular in the preterite?
No. Oponer has an irregular preterite: opuse, opusiste, opuso, opusimos, opusisteis, opusieron. Learn these forms as a set rather than deriving them from the infinitive.
What is the past participle of oponer?
The past participle is opuesto: 'He opuesto' means 'I have opposed'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is oponiendo.
When do I use the preterite instead of the imperfect for oponer?
Use the preterite for one finished action, as in Ayer, yo opuse resistencia al proyecto. Use the imperfect for a repeated habit or background, as in Yo oponía resistencia al proyecto cada día. The time words around the verb usually tell you which one fits.
How do I remember the preterite forms of oponer?
Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo opuse, tú opusiste, él/ella/Ud. opuso, nosotros/as opusimos, vosotros/as opusisteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. opusieron. Then write three of your own sentences with oponer in the preterite, using the examples on this page as models.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of oponer — every tense of oponer in one place.
- Oponer examples and quiz — more sentences with oponer 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 oponer and other verbs.