Conjugating the preterit tense in Spanish involves changing the infinitive ending of a verb to reflect who performed the action and when it occurred in the past. For regular verbs, this process follows distinct patterns based on whether the infinitive ends in -ar, -er, or -ir. The preterit describes completed actions that happened at a specific point in the past.
Conjugating Regular -AR Verbs in the Preterit
To conjugate regular -ar verbs in the preterit tense, you first drop the -ar ending from the infinitive. Then, you add the specific preterit endings corresponding to each subject pronoun.
| Subject Pronoun | Ending | Example: Hablar (to speak) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -é | hablé |
| tú | -aste | hablaste |
| él/ella/usted | -ó | habló |
| nosotros/as | -amos | hablamos |
| vosotros/as | -asteis | hablasteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -aron | hablaron |
Example Usage:
- Ayer yo hablé con mi amigo. (Yesterday I spoke with my friend.)
- Ellos compraron un coche nuevo. (They bought a new car.)
Conjugating Regular -ER and -IR Verbs in the Preterit
For regular -er and -ir verbs, the preterit conjugation process is similar. You drop the -er or -ir ending from the infinitive and then add the following set of specific endings. It's important to note that regular -er and -ir verbs share the exact same preterit endings.
| Subject Pronoun | Ending | Example: Comer (to eat) | Example: Vivir (to live) |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | -í | comí | viví |
| tú | -iste | comiste | viviste |
| él/ella/usted | -ió | comió | vivió |
| nosotros/as | -imos | comimos | vivimos |
| vosotros/as | -isteis | comisteis | vivisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -ieron | comieron | vivieron |
Example Usage:
- Nosotros comimos pizza anoche. (We ate pizza last night.)
- Ella vivió en España por dos años. (She lived in Spain for two years.)
Key Points for Preterit Conjugation
- The preterit tense is fundamental for narrating past events, actions, or completed states.
- While these rules apply to regular verbs, many common verbs in Spanish are irregular in the preterit and follow different patterns. Mastering regular conjugations first provides a strong foundation before tackling irregular forms.
- Practice with various verbs helps solidify understanding and recall of these essential endings.
