9.1.7: G.2.2- The Preterite (el pretérito)
- Page ID
- 234752
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Regular Forms
- -ar verbs
Hablar yo hablé tú hablaste él/ella/Ud. habló nosotros/as hablamos vosotros/as hablasteis ellos/ellas/Uds. hablaron - -er and -ir verbs
Comer Vivir yo comí viví tú comiste viviste él/ella/Ud. comió vivió nosotros/as comimos vivimos vosotros/as comisteis vivisteis ellos/ellas/Uds. comieron vivieron
Irregular Forms
- A change in 3rd person singular (él/ella/Ud.) and 3rd person plural (ellos/as/Uds.):
e → i o → u i → y Pedir Morir Influir yo pedí morí influí tú pediste moriste influiste él/ella/Ud. pidió murió influyó nosotros/as pedimos morimos influimos vosotros/as pedisteis moristeis influisteis ellos/ellas/Uds. pidieron murieron influyeron Other verbs that follow a similar pattern:
e → i o → u i → y despedirse dormir leer divertirse oír preferir contribuir vestirse huir sentirse distribuir consentir - A change in spelling to maintain the correct sound in the 1st person singular (yo):
c → qu g → gu z → c gu → gü yo expliqué llegué empecé averigüé Other verbs that follow a similar pattern:
c → qu g → gu z → c gu → gü explicar llegar empezar averiguar buscar jugar comenzar atestiguar indicar pagar cruzar sacar - A verb that adopts a different stem, and will usually have these endings (note that endings do not have an accent):
Andar → Anduv- yo -e anduve tú -iste anduviste él/ella/Ud. -o anduvo nosotros/as -imos anduvimos vosotros/as -isteis anduvisteis ellos/ellas/Uds. -ieron anduvieron Other verbs that also have a stem change:
Verb Stem estar estuv- haber hub- poder pud- poner pus- saber sup- tener tuv hacer hic- (hiz- in 3rd singular) querer quis- venir vin- conducir conduj- decir dij- producir produj- traducir traduj- traer traj- - Completely irregular forms:
ir ser ver dar yo fui fui vi di tú fuiste fuiste viste diste él/ella/Ud. fue fue vio dio nosotros/as fuimos fuimos vimos dimos vosotros/as fuisteis fuisteis visteis disteis ellos/ellas/Uds. fueron fueron vieron dieron
Uses of the Preterite
To indicate the beginning or end of an action, even or state in the past. There is no emphasis on the duration, but rather on a specific moment in time.
Ejemplos(s):
-- El verano pasado Katie fue a España.
Last summer Katie went to Spain.
--Se quedó en un piso en Madrid.
She stayed at a flat in Madrid.
--Estuvo allí por seis semanas.
She was there for six weeks.
--Conoció a mucha gente y e hizo muchos buenos amigos.
She met a lot of people and she made many good friends.
--Viajó a Barcelona dos veces y a Sevilla tres veces.
She traveled to Barcelona two times and to Sevilla three times.
--Estuvo contenta durante toda la estancia.
She was happy during the whole stay.
In all of these sentences the actions, events and states are viewed as being completed in the past and not in progress. Either a beginning or an end is being described. For example, in the following sentence Katie has begun to know many people (conoció) and has finished with making lots of friends (hizo).
Ejemplo(s):
--Conoció a mucha gente y e hizo muchos buenos amigos.
She met a lot of people and she made many good friends.
It really doesn’t matter if what is being described is a beginning or an end in the past because both are expressed using the preterit in Spanish. What is important is that the action, event, or state (emotional or physical) is being described as complete.