The Preterite Tense
In this lesson you'll learn how to use the preterite tense of verbs in the Spanish language. This is one of several tenses that are used to talk about the past.
Many verbs in Spanish are very irregular in the preterite tense. A few of these verbs will be covered in this lesson, but for an in-depth look at Spanish irregular verbs have a look at the Irregular Spanish Verbs lesson.
A short story in Spanish about three friends who are vacationing in Madrid is also included in the lesson.
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Preterite Tense
The preterite tense of verbs is used to indicate that a specific action was completed in the past. This tense is generally equivalent to the simple past tense in English, for example: They walked, I slept, We saw. The conjugation of the preterite tense for the three classes of verbs is shown in the following table.
| hablar (talk) | comer (eat) | vivir (live) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablé | comí | viví |
| tú | hablaste | comiste | viviste |
| usted | habló | comió | vivió |
| él, ella | habló | comió | vivió |
| nosotros | hablamos | comimos | vivimos |
| vosotros | hablasteis | comisteis | vivisteis |
| ustedes | hablaron | comieron | vivieron |
| ellos, ellas | hablaron | comieron | vivieron |
Examples
Hablé con él ayer.
|
I talked to him yesterday. |
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Escribió la carta en español.
|
He wrote the letter in Spanish. |
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Hoy me desperté a las ocho.
|
I woke up at eight today. |
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Bebí el café.
|
I drank the coffee. |
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¿Comiste la manzana?
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Did you eat the apple? (familiar singular) |
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Carlos comió la manzana. |
Carlos ate the apple. |
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Comimos la pizza.
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We ate the pizza. |
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Ellos comieron la pizza.
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They ate the pizza. |
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María y Jorge me hablaron ayer.
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María and Jorge spoke to me yesterday. |
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El año pasado viajaron a Valencia.
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Last year they traveled to Valencia. |
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El año pasado viajé a Valencia.
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Last year I traveled to Valencia. |
Preterite of Estar, Ser, and Ir
Many common verbs in Spanish are irregular in the preterite tense. Here is the conjugation of the preterite tense for the verbs estar, ir and ser.
Note: The preterite tense of ir and ser are identical.
| estar (be) | ir (go) | ser (be) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | estuve | fui | fui |
| tú | estuviste | fuiste | fuiste |
| él/ella | estuvo | fue | fue |
| nosotros | estuvimos | fuimos | fuimos |
| vosotros | estuvisteis | fuisteis | fuisteis |
| ellos/ellas | estuvieron | fueron | fueron |
Examples
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Fuimos a la tienda.
|
We went to the store. |
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Pedro fue un gran amigo.
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Pedro was a great friend. |
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Fueron al cine anoche.
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They went to the movies last night. |
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Ayer estuve en la playa.
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I was at the beach yesterday. |
Flashcards
Here are some flashcards to help you learn the preterite tense of Spanish verbs.
Spanish Conversation
Here is a short story about three friends who are vacationing in Madrid for three days. Reading the story will give you even more examples of how the preterite tense is used. There are a couple of examples of the imperfect tense as well. For example, brillaba means was shining, and había means was having. The imperfect tense is covered in this lesson.
Listen to the conversation.
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Día 1: La Llegada
Laura, Juan y Marta llegaron a Madrid un jueves por la mañana. El sol brillaba y había una brisa ligera que hacía el clima perfecto para explorar la ciudad. "¡Estoy tan emocionada! Nunca había estado en Madrid. ¿Qué hacemos primero?" preguntó Laura. "Propongo que dejemos las maletas en el hotel y luego vayamos a la Plaza Mayor. Es uno de los lugares más icónicos", respondió Juan. "Sí, y de camino podríamos parar en una cafetería para desayunar. ¡Necesito café!" Marta agregó. Después de dejar sus maletas en el hotel, se dirigieron a una cafetería cercana y disfrutaron de churros con chocolate y café con leche. Luego, se encaminaron hacia la Plaza Mayor, admirando la arquitectura y el ambiente vibrante. |
Day 1: The Arrival
Laura, Juan, and Marta arrived in Madrid on a Thursday morning. The sun was shining and there was a light breeze that made the weather perfect for exploring the city. "I'm so excited! I've never been to Madrid. What should we do first?" asked Laura. "I suggest we drop off our bags at the hotel and then head to Plaza Mayor. It's one of the most iconic places," Juan replied. "Yes, and on the way we could stop at a café for breakfast. I need coffee!" Marta added. After leaving their bags at the hotel, they headed to a nearby café and enjoyed churros with chocolate and coffee with milk. Then, they made their way to Plaza Mayor, admiring the architecture and the vibrant atmosphere. |
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Día 2: Cultura y Tapas
El segundo día, decidieron visitar algunos museos y probar la deliciosa comida madrileña. "¿Vamos al Museo del Prado primero?" Marta preguntó, "He oído que tienen una colección increíble de arte". "Sí", Laura respondió, "y después podemos ir al Reina Sofía para ver el 'Guernica' de Picasso." "Perfecto", Juan dijo, "y para el almuerzo podríamos ir a un mercado y probar algunas tapas". Hablando con entusiasmo sobre las aventuras que les esperaban, los tres amigos salieron del hotel.
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Day 2: Culture and Tapas
On the second day, they decided to visit some museums and taste the delicious Madrid cuisine. "Shall we go to the Prado Museum first?" Marta suggested, "I've heard they have an incredible art collection." "Yes", Laura replied, "and then we can go to the Reina Sofía to see Picasso's 'Guernica'." "Perfect", Juan said, "and for lunch, we could go to a market and try some tapas." Talking excitedly about the adventures that awaited them, the three friends left the hotel. |
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Día 3: Adiós a Madrid
El último día, decidieron visitar el Parque del Retiro y dar un paseo en barca por el estanque. "Este parque es precioso", Marta comentó, "¿Quién quiere remar?" "Yo puedo empezar", Juan dijo, "Pero quiero asegurarme de que también tengamos tiempo para subir al mirador del Palacio de Cibeles". "Sí", acordó Laura, "y después podríamos hacer algunas compras antes de regresar al hotel". Disfrutaron de una mañana relajante en el parque, y más tarde subieron al mirador para disfrutar de vistas panorámicas de la ciudad. Terminaron su viaje con algunas compras en la Gran Vía y finalmente regresaron al hotel para recoger sus maletas y dirigirse al aeropuerto. Fue un viaje inolvidable para los tres amigos, que prometieron volver algún día para seguir descubriendo los encantos de Madrid. |
Day 3: Goodbye to Madrid
On the last day, they decided to visit Retiro Park and take a boat ride on the pond. "This park is beautiful," Marta remarked, "Who wants to row?" "I can start," Juan said, "but I also want to make sure we have time to go up to the viewpoint at the Palacio de Cibeles." Laura: "Yes," Laura agreed, "and afterwards we could do some shopping before heading back to the hotel." They enjoyed a relaxing morning at the park, and later went up to the viewpoint to enjoy panoramic views of the city. They finished their trip with some shopping on Gran Vía and finally returned to the hotel to pick up their bags and head to the airport. It was an unforgettable trip for the three friends, who promised to return one day to continue discovering the charms of Madrid. |
Practice Questions
Here's a quiz to help you learn the Spanish preterite tense. Rewrite each sentence using the preterite tense.