Preterite Tense

Regular Rules

Preterite Tense

Regular Preterite Endings

yo t Ud. / l / ella nosotros Uds. ellos (as) -AR - -aste - -amos -aron -ER -iste -i -imos -ieron -IR -iste -i -imos -ieron

Use the preterite tense to talk about past actions which: happened at a specific point in time. happened a specific number of times. happened during an enclosed amount of time. Watch out for: Spell-changing Verbs Stem-changing Verbs Preterite Tense Irregulars

Preterite Tense
-car, -gar, -zar Rules

Preterite Tense

Spell-changing Verbs in Preterite

--car c qu --gar g gu --zar z c

Buscar busqu Jugar jugu Empezar empec

These verbs undergo this change only in the yo form in the preterite tense.

Preterite Tense

Common -car, -gar, -zar Verbs

Llegar to arrive Jugar to play (sports) pagar to pay Regar to water Segar to mow Tragar to swallow Vagar to wander Aparcar to park Buscar to look for Clarificar to clarify Clasificar to classify Trazar to trace Tropezar to stumble, bump

Destacar to stand out Empacar to pack Justificar to justify Practicar to practice Sacar to take (notes or pictures) Tocar to touch, play (a musical instrument) Autorizar to authorize Comenzar to begin Empezar to start Organizar to organize Simbolizar to symbolize Preterite Tense

Preterite Tense
Irregular Verbs

Preterite Tense

Irregular Verbs in Preterite

Andar Estar Tener To walk To be To have AnduvEstuvTuv-

Poder To be able to, can PudPoner To put PusSaber To know Sup-

Hacer Querer Venir

To make, do To want To come

HicQuisVinPreterite Tense

Endings for Irregular Verbs

Yo t Ud. / l / ella Nosotros Uds. / ellos / ellas -e -iste -o -imos -ieron
Preterite Tense

Ser (to be) & Ir (to go)

Yo t Ud. / l / ella Nosotros Uds. / ellos / ellas Fui Fuiste Fue Fuimos fueron

Preterite Tense

More Irregular Verbs in Preterite

Decir to say, tell Traer to bring Dar to give Ver to see

Yo T Ud. / l / ella Nosotros Uds. / ellos / ellas

Dije Dijiste Dijo Dijimos Dijeron

Traje Trajiste Trajo Trajimos Trajeron

Di Diste Dio Dimos Dieron

Vi Viste Vio Vimos Vieron

Preterite Tense

Practice Exercise
1. 2. 3.

4.
5. 6. 7.

8.
9. 10.

I practiced. I arrived. I organized. I began. I played the guitar. I played tennis. I took pictures. I authorized. I classified. I bumped.
Preterite Tense

Preterite Tense
Stem changing Verbs

Preterite Tense

-IR Stem-changing Verbs

Most stem-changing verbs change only in the present tense. However, -ir stem-changing verbs make small changes in the preterite tense. There are 3 kinds of ir stem-changing verbs in the present tense. Listed on the upcoming slides are the changes they make in the preterite tense. These verbs change only in the 3rd person (both singular & plural) forms.

OUE O changes to U in Preterite

Dormir to sleep dorm dormiste durmi durmieron dormimos

OUE O changes to U in Preterite

dormir to sleep morir to die

EIE E changes to I in Preterite

Mentir to lie ment mentiste minti mintieron mentimos

EIE E changes to I in Preterite

Advertir to advise, warn Consentir to consent Convertir to convert Hervir to boil Mentir to lie Preferir to prefer Referir to refer Sentir (se) to feel Sugerir to suggest

EI E changes to I in preterite
Pedirto request, ask for, order
ped pedimos

pediste
pidi pidieron

EI E changes to I in preterite

Bendecir to bless Colegir to deduce Competir to compete Conseguirto obtain, get Corregirto correct Despedir to say goodbye, dismiss, fire Elegir to elect Frerto fry Gemirto groan

EI E changes to I in preterite

impedir to impede maldecir to curse medir to measure, be long pedir to request, ask for, order rerto laugh repetir to repeat Seguirto continue, follow servirto serve

Verbs that change from IY in Preterite

These changes occur in verbs ending in er or ir in which a vowel immediately precedes the infinitive ending. These changes occur only in the third person forms (both singular & plural). All other forms of these verbs have an accent over the i.

Verbs that change from IY in Preterite

Creerto believe
cre cremos

creste
crey creyeron

Verbs that change from IY in Preterite

Caerto fall Caer(se)to fall down Creer to believe Leerto read Orto hear poseerto possess Proveerto provide

Verbs that change from IY in Preterite Exceptions

The verb traer, atraer and distraer. Verbs ending in guir Verbs ending in uir make the change from iy, but the accent on the I is only written in the first person singular form.

Verbs that change from IY in Preterite Exceptions

Construir to construct Contribuir to contribute Destruir to destroy Fluir to flow, run Huir to flee, run away Incluir to include Influir to influence

Verbs ending in ucir:

Producir to produce
Produje Produjiste Produjo Produjeron Produjimos

Verbs ending in ucir:

Conducir to drive, lead, conduct Deducir to deduce, infer Inducir to induce, lead Introducir to introduce Producir to produce Reducir to reduce Traducir to translate

Verbs that change meaning in the Preterite Tense

Conocer Poder No poder Querer No querer Saber Sentir

Present To know To be able to To not be able to To want To not want To know To feel

Preterite To meet To manage To fail To try To refuse To find out To regret, be sorry