Preterite of -ar Verbs
To say what someone did, drop -ar and add -ei, -aches, -ou, -amos, -astes, -aron: Falei con ela (I spoke with her).
How It Works
The endings (falar, to speak):
eu falei · ti falaches · el/ela/vostede falou
nós falamos · vós falastes · eles/elas/vostedes falaron
ti versus vós: the ti form ends in -aches (cantaches), while -astes belongs to vós, the plural you (cantastes). In parts of Lugo and Ourense you will hear cantache, and a few coastal areas say cantaste or cantastes for ti, but the written standard is -aches.
nós has two meanings: falamos means both we speak and we spoke. A time word such as onte (yesterday) or the context shows which one is meant.
Spelling in the eu form: before -ei some stems change their spelling so the sound stays the same: chegar → cheguei, buscar → busquei, comezar → comecei. See spelling changes in verb forms.
Andar is regular: the standard past is andei, andaches, andou. Forms such as andiven are heard in some places, but the written standard keeps andar regular.
Use: this tense tells what happened and finished, and Galician also uses it where English says have done. See using the preterite for completed actions.
Examples (6)
- Falei con ela onte.
I spoke with her yesterday.
Word by Word: Spoke-I with her yesterday.
falar → falei: the eu ending is -ei.
- Onde cantaches?
Where did you sing?
Word by Word: Where sang-you?
The ti ending is -aches.
- Chegaron onte pola noite.
They arrived last night.
Word by Word: Arrived-they yesterday by-the night.
The eles ending is -aron.
- Cheguei tarde ao traballo.
I got to work late.
Word by Word: Arrived-I late to-the work.
chegar → cheguei: a u is added so the g keeps its hard sound before e.
- Xogamos ao fútbol o sábado.
We played football on Saturday.
Word by Word: Played-we to-the football the Saturday.
The nós form is the same as the present; o sábado shows it is past.
- Comprastes o pan?
Did you all buy the bread?
Word by Word: Bought-you-all the bread?
The vós ending is -astes.
Common Mistakes
Using the Spanish eu ending -é instead of -ei.
Falé con ela.Falei con ela.The Galician eu form of an -ar verb always ends in -ei.
Using the Spanish el/ela ending -ó.
Ela cantó moi ben.Ela cantou moi ben.The Galician el/ela ending for -ar verbs is -ou: cantou, falou, chegou.
Forgetting the spelling change before -ei.
Chegei tarde.Cheguei tarde.Before e, a hard g is written gu, so chegar becomes cheguei.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The -ar preterite gives completed past events with its own person endings.
Related Patterns
- Preterite of -er and -ir Verbs
The matching endings for the other two verb groups.
Level 2 - Using the Preterite for Completed Actions
Explains when to use these forms, including for English have done.
Level 2 - Spelling Changes in Verb Forms
Explains cheguei, busquei and comecei.
Level 3 - Imperfect of -ar Verbs
The other past tense of -ar verbs, for habits and background.
Level 2 - Preterite vs Imperfect
Helps you choose between falei and falaba.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice Preterite of -ar Verbs in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Galician lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
