Hablé con la dama.

with

Breakdown of Hablé con la dama.

• hablar: to talk
• la dama: the lady

Questions & Answers about Hablé con la dama.

Why is hablé used here, and what tense is it?

Hablé is the first-person singular preterite form of hablar (to speak / to talk).

So hablé means I spoke or I talked.

The preterite is used for a completed action in the past. In this sentence, it means the speaking happened and is viewed as a finished event.

• hablo = I speak / I am speaking
• hablaba = I was speaking / I used to speak
• hablé = I spoke

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Why does hablé have an accent mark?

The accent mark in hablé shows where the stress goes: ha-BLÉ.

It is also important because it distinguishes this form from other possible forms:

• hablé = I spoke
• hable = a different form, such as the subjunctive or a formal command

So the accent is not optional here; it is part of the correct spelling.

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Why is there no yo in the sentence?