Learn Spanish (Latin America): Ella no participó en el partido ayer. - She did not participate in the game yesterday.

Ella no participó en el partido ayer.

She did not participate in the game yesterday.

Breakdown of Ella no participó en el partido ayer.

Questions & Answers about Ella no participó en el partido ayer.

Why does participó have an accent mark on the 'o'?

The accent mark shows that this is the preterite (past) tense for ella (she). For regular -ar verbs like participar, the he, she, or it form in the past tense always ends in -ó. The accent also tells you to stress that last syllable when speaking.

What happens if I forget the accent mark and just write participo?

It completely changes the meaning! Participó (with the accent) means she, he, or it participated in the past. But participo (without the accent) means 'I participate' in the present tense. Accents are very important in Spanish past tense verbs!

Why is the word for 'game' partido here instead of juego?

While both mean 'game,' partido specifically refers to a sports match or an organized game with opposing teams. Juego is usually used for board games, video games, or playing in general.

Do I need ayer to make the sentence past tense?

No, the verb participó already puts the action in the completed past tense (the preterite). Adding ayer (yesterday) just gives extra context about exactly when the game happened.