Preterite of facer and dicir
The past of facer is fixen, fixeches, fixo and the past of dicir is dixen, dixeches, dixo: Que fixeches onte? (What did you do yesterday?)
How It Works
facer: fixen, fixeches, fixo, fixemos, fixestes, fixeron
dicir: dixen, dixeches, dixo, dixemos, dixestes, dixeron
The x stem: the letter x spells the sh sound. Galician never writes this sound with j.
The endings: they are the same irregular set as in estiven and tiven. eu ends in -en and el/ela ends in -o, so fixen means I did and fixo means he or she did.
Weather: facer is the verb of weather expressions, so the past of fai frío is fixo frío (it was cold). See talking about the weather.
Telling: dicir often takes an indirect object pronoun: Non me dixeron nada (They did not tell me anything). Here non pulls me before the verb; see pronouns after negatives.
Examples (6)
- Que fixeches onte?
What did you do yesterday?
Word by Word: What did-you yesterday?
facer → fixeches for ti.
- Dixo que si.
He said yes.
Word by Word: Said that yes.
dicir → dixo for el/ela.
- Fixemos unha empanada para a cea.
We made an empanada for dinner.
Word by Word: Made-we an empanada for the dinner.
facer also means to make.
- Non me dixeron nada.
They did not tell me anything.
Word by Word: Not me said-they nothing.
non puts the pronoun me before the verb.
- Fixo moito frío onte.
It was very cold yesterday.
Word by Word: Made much cold yesterday.
The past of fai frío.
- Que dixeches?
What did you say?
Word by Word: What said-you?
dixeches is the ti form.
Common Mistakes
Using the el/ela form -o with eu.
Eu fixo a cea.Eu fixen a cea.The eu form ends in -en. Fixo means he or she did.
Writing the sh sound with j, as in Spanish dijo.
Dijo que si.Dixo que si.Galician writes this sound with x. The letter j is not used in Galician words.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Facer and dicir use special preterite stems in x.
Related Patterns
- Preterite of estar and ter
Uses the same -en, -eches, -o endings.
Level 2 - The Letter X
Explains the spelling and sound of the x in fixen and dixen.
Level 1 - fai frío / choveTalking About the Weather
Weather expressions use facer, so their past is fixo.
Level 1 - farei / direiIrregular Futures: Farei and Direi
Facer and dicir are also irregular in the future.
Level 2 - dicir queReported Statements
Dixo que is the start of most reported statements.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice Preterite of facer and dicir in Bubblegum
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