Preterite Tense (Pretérito)

Used for completed actions in the past — events with a clear beginning and end.

When to use

Completed actions: Ayer compré un libro (Yesterday I bought a book).
Actions with a specific time frame: Viví en Madrid por dos años (I lived in Madrid for two years).
Sequential events: Me levanté, desayuné y salí (I got up, had breakfast, and left).

-are.g. hablar (habl-)

yo-é

tú-aste

él/ella-ó

nosotros-amos

vosotros-asteis

ellos/ellas-aron

-er/-ire.g. comer (com-)

yo-í

tú-iste

él/ella-ió

nosotros-imos

vosotros-isteis

ellos/ellas-ieron

ser → fuiir → fuiestar → estuvetener → tuvehacer → hicepoder → pudeponer → pusesaber → supevenir → vinedecir → dije

e → i stem change

The 'e' in the stem changes to 'i' in present tense (all forms except nosotros/vosotros) and throughout preterite 3rd person.

seguirpedirservirconseguirconvertir

Irregular preterite stems

These verbs have irregular stems in the preterite and use a special set of endings (-e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron).

tenerestarpoderponersaberhacervenirquererdecirtraerproducir

-car/-gar/-zar spelling changes

Verbs ending in -car change c→qu, -gar change g→gu, and -zar change z→c before 'e' (preterite yo, subjunctive present).

buscarsacartocarexplicarllegarpagarjugarempezarcomenzaralcanzarrealizar

Ser and ir share the same preterite forms: fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron.
Many common verbs have irregular preterite stems (tuv-, estuv-, hic-, pud-, pus-, sup-, vin-, dij-).
Spelling changes: -car→-qué, -gar→-gué, -zar→-cé in the yo form only.