Spanish Preterite Tense: Completed Past Actions

Learn how the Spanish preterite tense works. This guide explains regular preterite endings, completed past actions, time markers, spelling changes, stem changes, irregular preterite forms and the difference between the preterite, the imperfect and the present perfect.

Spanish preterite tense with hablé comí viví fui hice tuve and dije
The Spanish preterite presents completed past actions: hablé, comí, viví, fui, hice.

Why the Spanish preterite matters

The preterite is one of the main Spanish past tenses. It is used to say what happened, what someone did, where someone went and when a completed event took place: ayer hablé con Ana, compramos los billetes, fui al mercado, terminaron el trabajo. It is the tense that moves a story forward with completed events.

How to use this page

Use this page as the main overview for the Spanish preterite. Start with regular endings, then learn spelling changes and the most common irregular forms. For deeper tense choice, continue with the preterite-vs-imperfect comparison.

Learn the regular endings.
Use -é, -aste, -ó for regular -ar verbs and -í, -iste, -ió for regular -er/-ir verbs.
Use the preterite for completed events.
Typical markers include ayer, anoche, la semana pasada and en 2020.
Separate regular and irregular patterns.
Learn forms such as fui, hice, tuve, dije and pude as a separate group.

The core idea: completed past action

Finished event

The preterite presents an action as completed.

Ayer compré un libro.
Yesterday I bought a book.

Specific past time

It often appears with clear finished time markers.

Anoche cenamos tarde.
Last night we had dinner late.

Story event

The preterite moves a narrative forward.

Llegó, abrió la puerta y entró.
He arrived, opened the door and went in.

Regular Spanish preterite endings

Subject Hablar Comer Vivir English meaning
yo hablé comí viví I spoke / ate / lived.
tú hablaste comiste viviste You spoke / ate / lived.
él / ella / usted habló comió vivió He/she/you formal spoke / ate / lived.
nosotros / nosotras hablamos comimos vivimos We spoke / ate / lived.
vosotros / vosotras hablasteis comisteis vivisteis You all spoke / ate / lived.
ellos / ellas / ustedes hablaron comieron vivieron They / you all spoke / ate / lived.
Memory line: -ar preterite: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron; -er/-ir preterite: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.

Regular preterite examples

Regular preterite forms are used for completed actions in the past. The endings show who did the action.

Infinitive Preterite form Example sentence English meaning
hablar hablé Hablé con Ana ayer. I spoke with Ana yesterday.
comprar compramos Compramos los billetes. We bought the tickets.
comer comió Comió a las dos. He/she ate at two o’clock.
vivir vivieron Vivieron en Madrid dos años. They lived in Madrid for two years.

Main uses of the Spanish preterite

Use the preterite when the speaker presents the action as complete, bounded or part of a finished past sequence.

Use Spanish example English meaning Grammar logic
Completed action Compré un libro. I bought a book. The action is viewed as finished.
Specific past time Ayer estudié español. Yesterday I studied Spanish. The time frame is closed.
Sequence of events Llegó, saludó y se sentó. He/she arrived, greeted everyone and sat down. Events move the story forward.
Completed period Viví en México tres años. I lived in Mexico for three years. The whole period is presented as complete.
Sudden event De repente empezó a llover. Suddenly it started to rain. A new event begins in the story.

Common preterite time markers

These markers often point to finished past time, so they commonly appear with the preterite.

Time marker Spanish example English meaning
ayer Ayer trabajé mucho. Yesterday I worked a lot.
anoche Anoche cenamos tarde. Last night we had dinner late.
la semana pasada La semana pasada viajé. Last week I travelled.
el año pasado El año pasado aprendimos mucho. Last year we learned a lot.
en 2020 En 2020 viví en Madrid. In 2020 I lived in Madrid.
una vez Una vez fui solo. Once I went alone.

Spelling changes in the yo form: -car, -gar, -zar

Some regular -ar verbs change spelling in the yo form to keep the same sound. The endings are still regular, but the spelling changes before -é.

Infinitive Change Yo form Example
buscar c → qu busqué Busqué las llaves.
llegar g → gu llegué Llegué tarde.
empezar z → c empecé Empecé a estudiar.
pagar g → gu pagué Pagué la cuenta.

Stem-changing -ir verbs in the preterite

Some -ir verbs have a stem change in the third-person singular and plural preterite forms. This is common with verbs such as pedir, dormir and sentir.

Infinitive Yo form Él / ella form Ellos form Change
pedir pedí pidió pidieron e → i
sentir sentí sintió sintieron e → i
dormir dormí durmió durmieron o → u
morir morí murió murieron o → u

Common irregular preterite forms

Many high-frequency verbs are irregular in the preterite. Some use special stems and endings, while ser and ir share the same forms.

Infinitive Yo form Él / ella form Ellos form Example
ser / irfuifuefueronFui al mercado.
tenertuvetuvotuvieronTuve un problema.
estarestuveestuvoestuvieronEstuve en Lima.
hacerhicehizohicieronHice la tarea.
poderpudepudopudieronNo pude salir.
decirdijedijodijeronDije la verdad.
traertrajetrajotrajeronTraje los documentos.

Full detail page: Irregular Preterite in Spanish.

Preterite vs imperfect

The preterite tells what happened as a completed event. The imperfect describes background, habits, repeated actions and ongoing past situations.

Preterite Meaning Imperfect Meaning
Hablé con Ana. I spoke with Ana. Hablaba con Ana. I was speaking / used to speak with Ana.
Viví en Madrid dos años. I lived in Madrid for two years. Vivía en Madrid. I lived / was living in Madrid.
Compré la casa. I bought the house. La casa era grande. The house was big.
Llamó mi madre. My mother called. Dormía cuando llamó. I was sleeping when she called.

Full comparison: Preterite vs Imperfect in Spanish.

Preterite vs present perfect

The preterite places a completed action in a finished past time. The present perfect connects a completed action to the present.

Preterite Meaning Present perfect Meaning
Ayer comí tarde. Yesterday I ate late. Hoy he comido tarde. Today I have eaten late.
Vi esa película en 2020. I saw that movie in 2020. He visto esa película. I have seen that movie.
Terminamos el viernes. We finished on Friday. Hemos terminado. We have finished.

Full comparison: Present Perfect vs Preterite in Spanish.

Preterite in storytelling

In narration, the preterite usually carries the main sequence of events. The imperfect often gives the background, and the preterite introduces what happened next.

Background Preterite event Full sentence English meaning
Era tarde decidimos volver Era tarde, así que decidimos volver. It was late, so we decided to return.
Dormía sonó el teléfono Dormía cuando sonó el teléfono. I was sleeping when the phone rang.
Llovía salimos Llovía cuando salimos. It was raining when we went out.

Practice exercises: Spanish preterite

Try to answer before opening the solutions. These exercises focus on regular endings, spelling changes and irregular forms.

Exercise 1: regular preterite

  1. yo / hablar
  2. tú / comer
  3. ella / vivir
  4. nosotros / comprar
Show answers

1. hablé
2. comiste
3. vivió
4. compramos

Exercise 2: spelling changes

  1. yo / buscar
  2. yo / llegar
  3. yo / empezar
  4. yo / pagar
Show answers

1. busqué
2. llegué
3. empecé
4. pagué

Exercise 3: irregular preterite

  1. yo / tener
  2. ella / hacer
  3. nosotros / ir
  4. ellos / decir
Show answers

1. tuve
2. hizo
3. fuimos
4. dijeron

Typical mistakes with the Spanish preterite

  • Using the preterite for every past sentence: use the imperfect for background, habits and descriptions.
  • Forgetting accents: regular forms such as hablé, habló, comí and comió need accents.
  • Adding accents to irregular strong forms: say tuve, hizo, pudo, not tuvé, hizó, pudó.
  • Ignoring spelling changes: say busqué, llegué, empecé.
  • Confusing fui: fui can mean “I was” or “I went”; context decides.
  • Using present perfect with closed past markers: with ayer, the preterite is usually expected: ayer comí.
Past-tense contrast

Preterite vs Imperfect

Compare completed events with background, descriptions and habits.

Background past

Imperfect

Learn hablaba, comía, vivía, era, iba and veía.

Earlier past

Pluperfect

Learn había hablado and past-before-past meaning.

Verb foundation

Spanish Verbs

Review regular, irregular and highly irregular verb patterns.

Where to go next

After the preterite, continue with irregular preterite forms and the preterite-vs-imperfect comparison. These pages explain both the forms and the tense-choice logic in real past narration.

Irregular Preterite
Learn tuve, fui, hice, dije and other irregular forms. Preterite vs Imperfect
Compare completed actions with background and habits. Imperfect
Learn hablaba, comía, vivía, era and iba.

Want personal guidance?

If the Spanish preterite feels confusing, individual guidance can help you practise hablé, comí, viví, fui, hice, tuve, spelling changes, irregular forms and the difference between preterite and imperfect.

Private Spanish Lessons Spanish Tutoring Intensive Course

FAQ: Spanish preterite tense

What is the Spanish preterite tense?

The Spanish preterite is a past tense used for completed actions and finished past events. Examples include hablé, comí, viví, fui, hice and tuve.

When do you use the preterite in Spanish?

Use the preterite for completed past actions, specific past events, finished time periods and story events that move narration forward.

What are the regular preterite endings in Spanish?

Regular -ar verbs use -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron. Regular -er and -ir verbs use -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.

What is the difference between preterite and imperfect?

The preterite presents a completed past event. The imperfect describes background, habits, repeated actions, descriptions or ongoing past situations.

What are common irregular preterite forms?

Common irregular preterite forms include fui, hice, tuve, estuve, pude, dije and traje.

Does the Spanish preterite use accent marks?

Many regular preterite forms use accent marks, such as hablé, habló, comí and comió. Many strong irregular preterite forms do not, such as tuve, hizo and pudo.

MundoDele Spanish learning, education and culture

MundoDele – Spanish learning for education, work and intercultural understanding

MundoDele connects online Spanish courses, DELE preparation, Business Spanish and cultural context into a personal Spanish learning platform.

Grammar pages are designed to explain Spanish clearly, with practical examples, real sentence logic and connected learning paths.

Scroll to Top