The preterite tense expresses actions that have been completed. It is often used for:
Specific events or actions that happened once.
Actions that occurred during a specific time frame.
Sequential actions in the past.
Actions that interrupt ongoing events.
Key Signal Words
Common time expressions that frequently accompany the preterite include:
ayer (yesterday)
anoche (last night)
el año pasado (last year)
entonces (then)
de repente (suddenly)
una vez (once)
Regular Verbs
The preterite endings are different for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. Here are the sets for regular verbs, using hablar, comer, and vivir as examples.
-ar Verbs (e.g., hablar)
Spanish Example
hablé
English Example
I spoke
Person
Ending
yo
-é
(1 of 6)
-er Verbs (e.g., comer)
Spanish Example
comí
English Example
I ate
Person
Ending
yo
-í
(1 of 6)
-ir Verbs (e.g., vivir)
Spanish Example
viví
English Example
I lived
Person
Ending
yo
-í
(1 of 6)
Important: Stem-Changing Verbs
Regular -ar and -er verbs do not change their stem in the preterite.
Some -ir verbs have a stem change in the third person (singular and plural). For example, dormir → durmió, durmieron.
This stem change applies only to e → i and o → u shifts.
Irregular Verbs
Some common verbs have completely irregular preterite forms. Here are a few examples:
ir / ser (to go / to be)
English
I went / I was
Person
Form
yo
fui
(1 of 6)
hacer (to do, to make)
English
I did / made
Person
Form
yo
hice
(1 of 6)
tener (to have)
English
I had
Person
Form
yo
tuve
(1 of 6)
Sample Sentences
Spanish Sentence
Ayer estudié toda la noche.
English Translation
Yesterday I studied all night.
Usage Note
Single completed action
(1 of 4)
Summary
The preterite tense is used to talk about completed actions in the past, especially those that happened at a specific time or in a sequence. Regular verbs follow clear endings for -ar, -er, and -ir groups, while some verbs are irregular and must be memorized. Signal words like ayer, anoche, and de repente often accompany the preterite.
