Preterite Tense in Spanish
El pretérito
The preterite tense is used to describe completed actions in the past. It focuses on actions that happened at specific times and are viewed as finished.
Specific Uses of Preterite
The preterite is used in specific contexts to express completed past actions.
Example: hablar → yo hablé, tú hablaste, él habló
When to Use Preterite
The preterite expresses actions completed at specific moments in the past.
| Use | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Completed action | Comí a las dos. | I ate at two. |
| Series of actions | Me levanté, me duché y salí. | I got up, showered, and left. |
| Specific time period | Viví allí tres años. | I lived there for three years. |
| Beginning/end | La fiesta empezó a las ocho. | The party started at eight. |
Regular -AR Verbs in Preterite
Remove -ar and add preterite endings.
| Subject | Ending | Example (hablar) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -é | hablé |
| tú | -aste | hablaste |
| él/ella/usted | -ó | habló |
| nosotros/as | -amos | hablamos |
| vosotros/as | -asteis | hablasteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -aron | hablaron |
- Drop -ar from infinitive
- Add preterite endings
- Yo and él/ella forms have accent marks
- Nosotros form looks the same as present tense
Ayer comí pizza.Yesterday I ate pizza.type: Completed action
Me desperté, me vestí y salí.I woke up, got dressed, and left.type: Series of events
Viví en Madrid dos años.I lived in Madrid for two years.type: Specific time
La clase empezó a las nueve.The class started at nine.type: Beginning/end
Leía cuando sonó el teléfono.I was reading when the phone rang.type: Interruption
Regular -ER and -IR Verbs in Preterite
Both -er and -ir verbs share the same preterite endings.
| Subject | Ending | comer | vivir |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | -í | comí | viví |
| tú | -iste | comiste | viviste |
| él/ella/usted | -ió | comió | vivió |
| nosotros/as | -imos | comimos | vivimos |
| vosotros/as | -isteis | comisteis | vivisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -ieron | comieron | vivieron |
- Drop -er or -ir from infinitive
- Add preterite endings (same for both)
- Yo and él/ella forms have accent marks
Common Learner Questions
Helpful questions when using the preterite:
- Is the action completed?
- Did it happen at a specific time?
- What is the verb type (-ar, -er, -ir)?
- Is it irregular?
- Does it have a stem change (ir verbs)?
- Does it have a spelling change?
- What are the correct endings?
Example Sentences
Ayer hablé con mi madre.Yesterday I spoke with my mother.
Comimos en un restaurante italiano.We ate at an Italian restaurant.
Ella fue al cine anoche.She went to the movies last night.
Tuve un examen difícil.I had a difficult exam.
Ellos llegaron tarde a la fiesta.They arrived late to the party.
Stem-Changing -IR Verbs
Some -ir verbs have stem changes in third person forms only.
| Change | Infinitive | Él/Ella | Ellos/Ellas |
|---|---|---|---|
| e→i | pedir | pidió | pidieron |
| e→i | servir | sirvió | sirvieron |
| e→i | repetir | repitió | repitieron |
| o→u | dormir | durmió | durmieron |
| o→u | morir | murió | murieron |
| e→i | sentir | sintió | sintieron |
Common Irregular Verbs
Many common verbs have irregular preterite forms with special stems.
| Infinitive | Stem | Yo Form | Él/Ella Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| estar | estuv- | estuve | estuvo |
| tener | tuv- | tuve | tuvo |
| poder | pud- | pude | pudo |
| poner | pus- | puse | puso |
| saber | sup- | supe | supo |
| hacer | hic-/hiz- | hice | hizo |
| venir | vin- | vine | vino |
| querer | quis- | quise | quiso |
| decir | dij- | dije | dijo |
| traer | traj- | traje | trajo |
| ser/ir | fu- | fui | fue |
| dar | d- | di | dio |
- Use irregular stem
- Add special endings (no accents)
- Very common verbs follow this pattern
Spelling Changes in Preterite
Some verbs have spelling changes to maintain pronunciation.
| Change | When | Example | Yo Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| c→qu | -car verbs, yo form | buscar | busqué |
| g→gu | -gar verbs, yo form | llegar | llegué |
| z→c | -zar verbs, yo form | empezar | empecé |
| i→y | -er/-ir, él & ellos forms | leer | leyó, leyeron |
| i→y | -uir verbs, él & ellos forms | construir | construyó, construyeron |
Time Expressions with Preterite
Common time markers that signal preterite use.
| Expression | Translation |
|---|---|
| ayer | yesterday |
| anoche | last night |
| la semana pasada | last week |
| el año pasado | last year |
| hace dos días | two days ago |
| el lunes pasado | last Monday |
| en 2020 | in 2020 |
| una vez | once |
| de repente | suddenly |
| por fin | finally |