- Understand when to use the preterite tense for completed actions in the past
- Master regular preterite conjugations for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs
- Learn common irregular preterite verbs including ser/ir, tener, hacer, and estar
- Recognise preterite time expressions like ayer, anoche, and la semana pasada
- Apply correct accent marks to distinguish preterite from present tense forms
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Preterite Tense: Regular and Irregular
What You'll Learn
Overview / Usage
The preterite tense describes completed actions in the past - things that happened and finished at a specific time. Think of it as the Spanish equivalent of the English simple past: "I walked", "She ate", "They went".
⏰ Preterite: Completed Past Actions
The preterite focuses on actions that started and finished in the past. It's like taking a snapshot of completed events.
English Examples:
"I walked to school"
"She finished her homework"
"They arrived yesterday"
"I walked to school"
"She finished her homework"
"They arrived yesterday"
Spanish Examples:
"Caminé a la escuela"
"Terminó su tarea"
"Llegaron ayer"
"Caminé a la escuela"
"Terminó su tarea"
"Llegaron ayer"
The preterite is used for actions that happened at a specific point in time, lasted for a defined period, or occurred a specific number of times.
Structure & Formation
📋 Regular Preterite Conjugation Patterns
Regular verbs in the preterite follow predictable patterns based on their infinitive endings. Unlike present tense, the preterite has completely different endings that clearly show the action was completed in the past.
-AR Verbs
hablar → habl-
Add: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron
Add: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron
-ER/-IR Verbs
comer/vivir → com-/viv-
Add: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron
Add: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron
🔑 Key Pattern Points:
- -ER and -IR verbs share the same preterite endings (unlike present tense!)
- Accent marks are crucial: yo/él/ella forms need accents to distinguish from present
- No stem changes: Regular preterite uses the infinitive stem throughout
- First and third person singular are the most commonly used forms
📊 Complete Preterite Conjugation Tables
-AR Verbs: hablar (to speak)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo hablé I spoke | nosotros hablamos we spoke |
tú hablaste you spoke | vosotros hablasteis you all spoke |
él/ella habló he/she spoke | ellos/ellas hablaron they spoke |
-ER Verbs: comer (to eat)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo comí I ate | nosotros comimos we ate |
tú comiste you ate | vosotros comisteis you all ate |
él/ella comió he/she ate | ellos/ellas comieron they ate |
-IR Verbs: vivir (to live)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo viví I lived | nosotros vivimos we lived |
tú viviste you lived | vosotros vivisteis you all lived |
él/ella vivió he/she lived | ellos/ellas vivieron they lived |
⚠️ Common Irregular Preterite Verbs
These verbs have completely irregular stems and endings in the preterite. They must be memorised!
📊 Common Irregular Preterite Tables
ser/ir (to be/to go)
Both verbs have identical preterite forms!
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo fui I was/went | nosotros fuimos we were/went |
tú fuiste you were/went | vosotros fuisteis you all were/went |
él/ella fue he/she was/went | ellos/ellas fueron they were/went |
tener (to have)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo tuve I had | nosotros tuvimos we had |
tú tuviste you had | vosotros tuvisteis you all had |
él/ella tuvo he/she had | ellos/ellas tuvieron they had |
hacer (to do/make)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
yo hice I did/made | nosotros hicimos we did/made |
tú hiciste you did/made | vosotros hicisteis you all did/made |
él/ella hizo he/she did/made | ellos/ellas hicieron they did/made |
Other Common Irregular Preterite Verbs:
to be (location)
yo estuve
nosotros estuvimos
tú estuviste
vosotros estuvisteis
él/ella estuvo
ellos/ellas estuvieron
to be able to
yo pude
nosotros pudimos
tú pudiste
vosotros pudisteis
él/ella pudo
ellos/ellas pudieron
Examples
🕐 Preterite Time Expressions
These time expressions often signal that you should use the preterite tense:
ayer
yesterday
Ayer comí pizza
anoche
last night
Anoche estudié mucho
la semana pasada
last week
La semana pasada viajé
el año pasado
last year
El año pasado me gradué
hace dos días
two days ago
Hace dos días llegué
de repente
suddenly
De repente llovió
📖 Story in the Preterite
Ayer fui al supermercado
Yesterday I went to the supermarket
Compré frutas y verduras
I bought fruits and vegetables
En casa, cociné una cena deliciosa
At home, I cooked a delicious dinner
Mi familia comió conmigo
My family ate with me
Después vimos una película
Afterwards we watched a movie
Todos nos acostamos temprano
We all went to bed early
Gotchas / Common Mistakes
❌ Don't Mix Up Accent Marks
Preterite forms need accent marks to distinguish them from present tense:
Present:hablo (I speak)
Preterite:habló (he/she spoke)
💡 Watch Out for Spelling Changes
Some verbs have spelling changes to preserve pronunciation:
buscar → busqué (c → qu before e)
Busqué mis llaves
I looked for my keys
✅ Preterite vs Present Perfect
Use preterite for specific completed actions, not present perfect:
Spanish: Comí (I ate - specific time)
Ayer comí paella
Yesterday I ate paella
Quick Test / Mini Quiz
📝 Interactive Preterite Tense Quiz
Test your knowledge of Spanish preterite tense - regular and irregular forms!
1
🏃 How do you say 'I ran' in Spanish?
2
🎂 What's the correct preterite form: 'She was at the party'?
3
📚 Choose the correct translation: 'We studied last night'
4
🎭 What is the correct preterite form: 'They went to the theater'?
5
✏️ Which sentence has the correct preterite form: 'I wrote a letter yesterday'?
6
🏆 Choose the irregular preterite: 'He had a great day'
7
🍕 What's the correct preterite: 'You (tú) ate pizza'?
8
🎸 What's the correct preterite form: 'I started the project'?
Useful Resources
Coming soon...