Preterit or Pretérito


The other past tense

 

This tense is the other past tense along with the Imperfect. It expresses an action that was completed in the past:

  • "My cousin arrived yesterday." It was a one time occurrence.

  • "I went out yesterday." But I have come back now.

  • "What happened?" It did happen, but has stopped now.

      As you can see from above the Preterit Tense is relatively simple to know when to use; however there are quite a few irregular verbs. Here is how to form it:

      PERSON ↓              INFINITIVE → TRABAJAR COMER VIVIR
      (yo) I TRABAJÉ COMÍ VIVÍ
      (tú) You TRABAJASTE COMISTE VIVISTE
      (él/ella/usted) He/She/You (polite) TRABAJÓ COMIÓ VIVIÓ
      (nosotros) We TRABAJAMOS COMIMOS VIVIMOS
      (vosotros) You (plural) TRABAJASTEIS COMISTEIS VIVISTEIS
      (ellos/ellas/ustedes) They/You (polite/plural) TRABAJARON COMIERON VIVIERON

      Not too difficult, and a very useful tense. Remember: as well as "I went" the Preterit also means "I did go" or "I ate" and "I did eat".

      Here are some verbs that are irregular in the Preterit and also how they are formed:

      PERSON ↓              INFINITIVE → SABER CONDUCIR IR/SER VENIR
      (yo) I SUPE CONDUJE FUI VINE
      (tú) You SUPISTE CONDUJISTE FUISTE VINISTE
      (él/ella/usted) He/She/You (polite) SUPO CONDUJO FUE VINO
      (nosotros) We SUPIMOS CONDUJIMOS FUIMOS VINIMOS
      (vosotros) You (plural) SUPISTEIS CONDUJISTEIS FUISTEIS VINISTEIS
      (ellos/ellas/ustedes) They/You (polite/plural) SUPIERON CONDUJIERON FUERON VINIERON

      Here are some more:

      PERSON ↓              INFINITIVE → ESTAR HACER TENER DECIR
      (yo) I ESTUVE HICE TUVE DIJE
      (tú) You ESTUVISTE HICISTE TUVISTE DIJISTE
      (él/ella/usted) He/She/You (polite) ESTUVO HIZO TUVO DIJO
      (nosotros) We ESTUVIMOS HICIMOS TUVIMOS DIJIMOS
      (vosotros) You (plural) ESTUVISTEIS HICISTEIS TUVISTEIS DIJISTEIS
      (ellos/ellas/ustedes) They/You (polite/plural) ESTUVIERON HICIERON TUVIERON DIJIERON

      And finally:

      PERSON ↓              INFINITIVE → DAR PONER PODER QUERER
      (yo) I DI PUSE PUDE QUISE
      (tú) You DISTE PUSISTE PUSISTE QUISISTE
      (él/ella/usted) He/She/You (polite) DIO PUDO PUSO QUISO
      (nosotros) We DIMOS PUDIMOS PUSIMOS QUISIMOS
      (vosotros) You (plural) DISTEIS PUDISTEIS PUSISTEIS QUISISTEIS
      (ellos/ellas/ustedes) They/You (polite/plural) DIERON PUSIERON PUDIERON QUSIERON

      Please take note that in all the above irregular tables there are other verbs that conjugate in the same way.

    • TRAER - To bring conjugates the same as "CONDUCIR", take off the "er" and get "TRAJE" etc.

    • Don't forget too, that all the Compounds of these verbs are irregular too.
      CONDUCIR: INTRODUCIR, PRODUCIR.
      HACER: DESHACER, SATISFACER.
      PONER: DISPONER, EXPONER, SUPONER and PROPONER.
      TENER: CONTENER, DETENER, OBTENER and SOSTENER.
      TRAER/ CONDUCIR: DISTRAER, SUBSTRAER.
      VENIR: CONVENIR, INTERVENIR.