vi/viste/vio/vimos/vieron
Preterite of Ver
The simple past tense (preterite) conjugations of the verb 'ver' (to see).
How It Works
The verb ver (to see) is irregular in the preterite tense. It's used to talk about seeing something at a specific, completed point in the past.
The conjugations follow a simple pattern but are considered irregular because they don't use the typical stem and, most importantly, they lack the accent marks that are common in other preterite forms.
Conjugations:
- yo vi - I saw
- tú viste - you saw
- él/ella/Ud. vio - he/she/you (formal) saw
- nosotros/as vimos - we saw
- vosotros/as visteis - you all (Spain) saw
- ellos/ellas/Uds. vieron - they/you all saw
A key point to remember is that vi and vio are single-syllable words and do not carry a written accent, unlike regular verbs like comió (he ate) or salió (she left).
Examples (6)
- Ayer vi a tu hermano en el parque.
Yesterday I saw your brother in the park.
Word by Word: Yesterday I saw to your brother in the park.
- ¿Viste la nueva película de superhéroes?
Did you see the new superhero movie?
Word by Word: Saw you the new movie of superheroes?
- Ella vio algo extraño por la ventana.
She saw something strange through the window.
Word by Word: She saw something strange through the window.
- Nosotros vimos el partido de fútbol juntos.
We saw the soccer game together.
Word by Word: We saw the game of soccer together.
- ¿Visteis el amanecer desde la montaña?
Did you all (Spain) see the sunrise from the mountain?
Word by Word: Saw you all the sunrise from the mountain?
- Ellos vieron las noticias y se preocuparon.
They saw the news and got worried.
Word by Word: They saw the news and themselves worried.
Common Mistakes
Incorrectly adding an accent mark to 'vio'.
Él vió un fantasma.Él vio un fantasma.Unlike regular -er/-ir verbs in the preterite (like 'comió' or 'bebió'), the third-person form 'vio' is a single-syllable word and does not take an accent mark. The same applies to the first-person form 'vi'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand the preterite of 'ver', learners must first be familiar with subject pronouns and the concept of verb conjugation. Since 'ver' is an -er verb, knowing its present tense and the regular preterite endings for -er verbs is essential to recognize how 'ver' is slightly irregular (it lacks the standard accent marks).
- -o/-es/-e/-emos/-éis/-enPresent Tense -ER Verbs
Ver is an -er verb; understanding its present tense conjugation provides the base for recognizing it as a verb before learning its irregular past forms.
Level 1 - -í/-iste/-ió/-imos/-isteis/-ieronPreterite -ER/-IR Verbs
The preterite of 'ver' follows the regular -er/-ir preterite endings but without the written accent marks, making the regular endings a vital reference point.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- di/diste/dio/dimos/dieronPreterite of Dar
The verb 'dar' (to give) follows the exact same irregular conjugation pattern as 'ver' in the preterite, including the lack of accent marks on 'di' and 'dio'.
Level 2 - fui/fuiste/fue/fuimos/fueronPreterite of Ser/Ir
This is another common and highly irregular verb set in the preterite. Grouping these irregulars helps with memorization.
Level 2 - Preterite for Completion
This explains the primary use of the preterite tense, which is to describe single, completed actions in the past, such as 'I saw' (vi).
Level 2 - veía/veías/veía/veíamos/veíanImperfect of Ver
This is the imperfect tense of 'ver'. It's used for descriptions or ongoing actions in the past ('I was seeing'), which contrasts with the preterite's use for completed actions ('I saw').
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice vi/viste/vio/vimos/vieron in Bubblegum
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