-í/-iste/-ió/-imos/-isteis/-ieron
Preterite -ER/-IR Verbs
Past tense endings for regular verbs ending in -ER and -IR, like 'comí' (I ate) and 'viví' (I lived).
How It Works
The preterite tense is one of the main ways to talk about the past in Spanish. It describes actions that were completed at a specific point in time.
For regular verbs ending in -er (like comer - to eat) and -ir (like vivir - to live), you use the same set of endings. To conjugate them, simply drop the infinitive ending and add the preterite ending that matches the subject.
Conjugation Pattern:
- 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)
Notice the accent marks on the yo (-í) and él/ella/usted (-ió) forms. These are crucial for pronunciation and meaning. For example, escribe means 'he/she writes' (present tense), while escribió means 'he/she wrote' (past tense). The accent is crucial for distinguishing the tense.
This pattern is the counterpart to the preterite endings for -AR verbs.
Examples (5)
- Ayer comí paella por primera vez.
Yesterday I ate paella for the first time.
Word by Word: Yesterday I-ate paella for first time.
The verb 'comer' (to eat) is conjugated in the 'yo' form, becoming 'comí'.
- ¿Recibiste mi correo electrónico?
Did you receive my email?
Word by Word: Received-you my email electronic?
'Recibir' (to receive) is an -IR verb. The 'tú' form is 'recibiste'.
- El niño abrió el regalo con mucha emoción.
The boy opened the gift with a lot of excitement.
Word by Word: The boy opened the gift with much emotion.
The verb 'abrir' (to open) is conjugated for 'el niño' (he), becoming 'abrió'. Note the accent on the 'ó'.
- Nosotros aprendimos a bailar salsa en Cuba.
We learned to dance salsa in Cuba.
Word by Word: We learned to dance salsa in Cuba.
'Aprender' (to learn) is an -ER verb. The 'nosotros' form is 'aprendimos'.
- Ellos vendieron su casa el año pasado.
They sold their house last year.
Word by Word: They sold their house the year past.
The verb 'vender' (to sell) is conjugated for 'ellos' (they), becoming 'vendieron'.
Common Mistakes
Using -AR preterite endings for -ER/-IR verbs.
Tú comaste mucho.Tú comiste mucho.The ending for 'tú' in the preterite for -ER and -IR verbs is '-iste', not '-aste'. '-aste' is for -AR verbs.
Forgetting the accent mark on the 'yo' and 'él/ella/usted' forms.
Ella escribio una novela.Ella escribió una novela.The accent on 'escribió' is essential. Without it, the stress falls on the wrong syllable ('es-CRI-bio' vs. 'es-cri-BIÓ') and it is grammatically incorrect.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- -é/-aste/-ó/-amos/-asteis/-aronPreterite -AR Verbs
This is the corresponding set of preterite endings for regular -AR verbs. Both patterns are used for the same tense (simple past) but apply to different verb groups.
Level 2 - Preterite for Completion
This explains the primary use of the preterite tense, which is the tense these endings form. It helps you understand when to use verbs conjugated with -í, -iste, -ió, etc.
Level 2 - -o/-es/-e/-emos/-éis/-enPresent Tense -ER Verbs
Contrasts the past tense endings with the present tense endings for the same group of -ER verbs, helping to differentiate between actions happening now and actions completed in the past.
Level 1 - fui/fuiste/fue/fuimos/fueronPreterite of Ser/Ir
While 'comer' and 'vivir' are regular in the preterite, 'ser' (to be) and 'ir' (to go) are highly common but irregular. This shows an important exception to the regular pattern.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
- cuando + PreteriteWhen in Past NarrationLevel 2
- di/diste/dio/dimos/dieronPreterite of DarLevel 2
- hice/hiciste/hizo/hicimos/hicieronPreterite of HacerLevel 2
- quise/quisiste/quiso/quisimos/quisieronPreterite of QuererLevel 2
- tuve/tuviste/tuvo/tuvimos/tuvieronPreterite of TenerLevel 2
- vi/viste/vio/vimos/vieronPreterite of VerLevel 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice -í/-iste/-ió/-imos/-isteis/-ieron in Bubblegum
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