Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs do not follow the usual patterns in their conjugations, so you have to learn their forms individually. This guide shows the most important irregular verbs with their key preterite forms.
ir / ser (to go / to be)
The verbs ir and ser share the same irregular preterite endings. Context tells you which one it was.
| English Conjugation | English Translation | Spanish ir / ser |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I went / I was | fui |
| tú | you went / you were | fuiste |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you went/was/was | fue |
| nosotros | we went / we were | fuimos |
| vosotros | you all went / you all were | fuisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | they/you all went/were | fueron |
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hacer (to do, to make)
Hacer is irregular in the preterite and its stem appears in many related expressions.
| English Conjugation | English Translation | Spanish hacer |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I did / I made | hice |
| tú | you did / you made | hiciste |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you did/made | hizo |
| nosotros | we did / we made | hicimos |
| vosotros | you all did / you all made | hicisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | they/you all did/made | hicieron |
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tener (to have)
Tener has a short irregular preterite stem and appears in many time and possession expressions.
| English Conjugation | English Translation | Spanish tener |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I had | tuve |
| tú | you had | tuviste |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you had | tuvo |
| nosotros | we had | tuvimos |
| vosotros | you all had | tuvisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | they/you all had | tuvieron |
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Signal Words
Signal words often appear with the preterite and help you remember when to use it, such as ayer, anoche, el año pasado and hace dos días.
| Spanish Signal Word | English Signal Word |
|---|---|
| ayer | yesterday |
| anoche | last night |
| el año pasado | last year |
| hace dos días | two days ago |
| English Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🌅 Esta mañana fui al mercado antes de trabajar. | This morning I went to the market before working. | Preterite "fui" for "ir" |
| 🏠 Ayer estuve en casa todo el día. | Yesterday I was at home all day. | Preterite "estuve" for "estar" |
| 🍎 Siempre tengo una manzana para la tarde. | I always have an apple for the afternoon. | Habitual action |
| 🛒 Hoy hice la compra del mes. | Today I did the monthly shopping. | Completed action |
| 🚶 Voy al parque cada domingo. | I go to the park every Sunday. | Present tense |
| 🌇 Anoche fui al paseo y vi la puesta de sol. | Last night I went for a walk and saw the sunset. | Narrating past events |
Summary
Irregular verbs in the preterite must be learned case by case. Start with high-frequency verbs like ir/ser, hacer and tener, and pay attention to signal words that set the time frame for completed actions.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025