Preterite of ser and ir

Level 2

Fun, fuches, foi, fomos, fostes, foron is the past of both ser and ir: Fun ao médico (I went to the doctor), Foi un bo día (It was a good day).

How It Works

The forms (ser and ir):
eu fun · ti fuches · el/ela foi
nós fomos · vós fostes · eles/elas foron

Went: ir usually has a destination, often introduced by a joined to the article: Fun ao mercado (I went to the market), Foron á praia (They went to the beach).

Was: ser links the subject to a description, a job or an identity: Foi un bo día (It was a good day), Quen foi o teu primeiro profesor? (Who was your first teacher?).

ti versus vós: the standard ti form is fuches; fostes is the vós form (you all). In the west you may hear foste or foches for ti, but write fuches.

Different in the imperfect: the two verbs only share the preterite. Their copretérito forms are different: era (was) and ía (was going).

Examples (6)

  1. Fun ao médico onte.

    I went to the doctor yesterday.

    Word by Word: Went-I to-the doctor yesterday.

    ao (a + o) marks a destination, so fun means went.

  2. Foi un bo día.

    It was a good day.

    Word by Word: Was a good day.

    A description follows, so foi means was.

  3. Onde fuches de vacacións?

    Where did you go on holiday?

    Word by Word: Where went-you of holidays?

    fuches is the ti form.

  4. Fomos amigos moitos anos.

    We were friends for many years.

    Word by Word: Were-we friends many years.

    fomos + a noun describing the subject: were.

  5. Foron á praia polo serán.

    They went to the beach in the evening.

    Word by Word: Went-they to-the beach by-the evening.

    á = a + a introduces the destination.

  6. Quen foi o teu primeiro profesor?

    Who was your first teacher?

    Word by Word: Who was the your first teacher?

    A noun describing the subject follows foi, so it means was.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Spanish form fui for eu.

    Fui ao médico.
    Fun ao médico.

    The Galician eu form ends in n: fun.

  • Using the Spanish form fue for el or ela.

    Ela fue á praia.
    Ela foi á praia.

    The Galician third person singular is foi.

  • Leaving out the preposition a before the destination.

    Fun o médico.
    Fun ao médico.

    With ir, the destination needs a. Here a joins the article o to make ao.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Preterite of ser and irLevel 2

Learn This First

Ser and ir share a preterite paradigm whose meaning comes from context.

Words in This Pattern