Preterite Tense
The preterite tense describes actions that were completed in the past, making it essential for telling stories and recounting events. This guide focuses on regular endings and common irregulars to get you quickly narrating in Spanish.
Usage
Use the preterite for actions that have clear beginnings and ends, for completed events, and for sequences of past actions. It contrasts with the imperfect, which describes ongoing or habitual past contexts.
Regular Verbs
Regular verbs follow predictable endings in the preterite, divided into three groups based on their infinitive endings: -ar, -er, and -ir. Learning one set of endings lets you apply the pattern to many common verbs.
-ar Verbs
For -ar verbs, the preterite endings attach to the stem and remain consistent across examples like hablar, comprar, and viajar. The first person singular ends in -é and the third person endings are -ó and -aron.
| Spanish Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|
| yo viajé | I traveled |
| tú viajaste | you traveled |
| él/ella/usted viajó | he/she/you traveled |
| nosotros/nosotras viajamos | we traveled |
| vosotros/vosotras viajasteis | you all traveled |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes viajaron | they/you all traveled |
| Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| ✈️ Yo viajé a México el verano pasado. | I traveled to Mexico last summer. |
| 🏖️ Tú viajaste a la playa con tus amigos. | You traveled to the beach with your friends. |
| 🌆 Ella viajó a París por primera vez. | She traveled to Paris for the first time. |
| 🚂 Nosotros viajamos en tren por toda Europa. | We traveled by train across Europe. |
| 🏔️ Vosotros viajasteis a los Andes el año pasado. | You all traveled to the Andes last year. |
| 🌍 Ellos viajaron alrededor del mundo en un año. | They traveled around the world in one year. |
-er Verbs
For -er verbs, the preterite endings also attach to the stem, with the first person singular ending in -í. Third person forms use -ió and -ieron, as seen in verbs like comer, beber, and aprender.
| Spanish Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|
| yo comí | I ate |
| tú comiste | you ate |
| él/ella/usted comió | he/she/you ate |
| nosotros/nosotras comimos | we ate |
| vosotros/vosotras comisteis | you all ate |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes comieron | they/you all ate |
| Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| 🍲 Yo comí tapas en España durante mi viaje. | I ate tapas in Spain during my trip. |
| 🍣 Tú comiste sushi en Japón por primera vez. | You ate sushi in Japan for the first time. |
| 🥖 Ella comió pan fresco en París. | She ate fresh bread in Paris. |
| 🥗 Nosotros comimos ensaladas en un café en Roma. | We ate salads at a café in Rome. |
| 🍕 Vosotros comisteis pizza en Nápoles. | You all ate pizza in Naples. |
| 🍛 Ellos comieron curry en India. | They ate curry in India. |
-ir Verbs
- -ir verbs follow the same preterite endings as -er verbs, with examples like vivir, escribir, and abrir. The first person singular is -í, and third person forms are -ió and -ieron*.
| Spanish Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|
| yo viví | I lived |
| tú viviste | you lived |
| él/ella/usted vivió | he/she/you lived |
| nosotros/nosotras vivimos | we lived |
| vosotros/vosotras vivisteis | you all lived |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes vivieron | they/you all lived |
| Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| 🏠 Yo viví en un hostal en Barcelona por una semana. | I lived in a hostel in Barcelona for a week. |
| 🛶 Tú viviste en una cabaña cerca del lago. | You lived in a cabin near the lake. |
| 🏨 Ella vivió en un hotel frente al mar. | She lived in a hotel by the sea. |
| 🚐 Nosotros vivimos en una furgoneta durante nuestro road trip. | We lived in a van during our road trip. |
| ⛺ Vosotros vivisteis en tiendas de campaña en las montañas. | You all lived in tents in the mountains. |
| 🏘️ Ellos vivieron en diferentes ciudades durante su viaje. | They lived in different cities during their trip. |
Stem-Changing Verbs
Some verbs change their stem in the preterite only in the third person forms, typically for certain -ir verbs where e becomes i and o becomes u. These changes help distinguish the preterite from other tenses.
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs in the preterite often change their stem and use special endings, and they are very common in everyday speech. Learning the key irregulars lets you express past actions more naturally.
ir / ser (to go / to be)
The verbs ir and ser share the same preterite forms, so context tells you which meaning applies. Their conjugation uses the irregular stem fui- and endings like fuiste and fueron.
| Spanish Conjugation | English ir | English ser |
|---|---|---|
| yo fui | I went | I was |
| tú fuiste | you went | you were |
| él/ella/usted fue | he/she/you went | he/she/you was |
| nosotros/nosotras fuimos | we went | we were |
| vosotros/vosotras fuisteis | you all went | you all were |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes fueron | they/you all went | they/you all were |
hacer (to do, to make)
Hacer changes to hic- in the preterite, except for the third person singular which is hizo. It is used for completed activities and is very frequent in recounting past events.
| Spanish Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|
| yo hice | I did/made |
| tú hiciste | you did/made |
| él/ella/usted hizo | he/she/you did/made |
| nosotros/nosotras hicimos | we did/made |
| vosotros/vosotras hicisteis | you all did/made |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes hicieron | they/you all did/made |
tener (to have)
Tener becomes tuv- in the preterite and is used for received or experienced things in the past. Its irregular forms follow the common pattern for stem-changing preterite verbs.
| Spanish Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|
| yo tuve | I had |
| tú tuviste | you had |
| él/ella/usted tuvo | he/she/you had |
| nosotros/nosotras tuvimos | we had |
| vosotros/vosotras tuvisteis | you all had |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes tuvieron | they/you all had |
Signal Words
Signal words often appear with the preterite and help confirm its use, such as expressions for specific moments, completed durations, and sudden events. These markers guide whether to choose the preterite or another past tense.
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ✈️ Ayer volamos a Madrid. | Yesterday we flew to Madrid. |
| 🌙 Anoche llegamos a nuestro hotel. | Last night we arrived at our hotel. |
| 🗺️ El verano pasado viajé por toda Italia. | Last summer I traveled all over Italy. |
| 🚌 Una vez tomamos un autobús nocturno. | Once we took a night bus. |
| 🏕️ El fin de semana pasado acampamos en las montañas. | Last weekend we camped in the mountains. |
Summary
The preterite narrates completed actions with clear forms for regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs, and memorable irregulars for high-frequency verbs like ir, ser, hacer, and tener. Practicing these patterns opens quick access to telling what happened.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025