Chapter 07: The Preterite Tense Flashcards
Give the preterite forms of “nadar” (to swim)
This is the first conjugation paradigm for the preterite tense.
nadé, nadaste, nadamos, nadasteis, nadaron
Give the preterite tense forms of “comer” (to eat)
This is the second conjugation paradigm for the preterite tense.
comí, comiste, comió, comimos, comisteis, comieron
Give the preterite tense forms of “vivir” (to live)
This is the third conjugation paradigm for the preterite tense.
viví, viviste, vivió, vivimos, vivisteis, vivieron
We -arrive- at twelve -every day.-
-Llegamos- a las doce -todos los días.
The 1st person plural form is identical in the present and preterite tenses. Context will typically provide the necessary information to decide which is meant.
We always -travel- to California -in the summer.-
Siempre -viajamos- a California -los veranos.-
The 1st person plural form is identical in the present and preterite tenses. Context will typically provide the necessary information to decide which is meant.
-Yesterday- we -arrived- at one-thirty.
-Ayer llegamos- a la una y media.
The 1st person plural form is identical in the present and preterite tenses. Context will typically provide the necessary information to decide which is meant.
-Last year- we -traveled- to Venezuela.
-El año pasado viajamos- a Venezuela.
The 1st person plural form is identical in the present and preterite tenses. Context will typically provide the necessary information to decide which is meant.
They -traveled- last month.
Ellos -viajaron- el mes pasado.
Use the preterite to express an action totally completed in the past.
My father-in-law -came back- at four o’clock.
Mi suegro -regresó- a las cuatro.
Use the preterite tense for an action that was completed at a specific moment in the past.
at that time
a esa hora
last night
anoche
the night before last
anteanoche
the day before yesterday
anteayer
yesterday at noon
ayer al mediodía
yesterday morning
ayer por la mañana
yesterday afternoon
ayer por la tarde
yesterday evening
ayer por la noche
last year
el año pasado
last (Monday)
el (lunes) pasado
last month
el mes pasado
at that moment
en ese momento
(ten) years ago
hace (diez) años
this morning
hoy por la mañana
last week
la semana pasada
She -waited- two hours at Dr. Bernal’s office.
-Esperó- dos horas en el consultorio del Dr. Bernal.
Use the preterite for an event that lasted a specified length of time and was completed in the past.
I -arrived- at the office, -prepared- a cup of coffee, -sat down-, and -called- a client.
-Llegué- al oficina, -preparé- un café, -me senté-, y -llamé- a un cliente.
Use the preterite for a series of actions completed in the past.
to turn x (a specific age)
cumplir x años
since this event generally only occurs once, we usually use the preterite with this expression
to realize (a fact)
darse cuenta de
since this event generally only occurs once, we usually use the preterite with this expression in the past
to decide
decidir
since this event generally only occurs once, we usually use the preterite with this expression in the past
to discover
descubrir
since this event generally only occurs once, we usually use the preterite with this expression in the past
to graduate
graduarse
since this event generally only occurs once, we usually use the preterite with this expression
to die
morir
since this event generally only occurs once, we usually use the preterite with this expression
My brother -turned- thirty.
Mi hermano -cumplió- treinta años.
The twins -graduated- a few years ago.
Los gemelos -se graduaron- hace varios años.
She -died- at ninety years of age.
Ella -murió- a los noventa años.
to start (with a)
arrancar (p. yo arranqué)
to look for
buscar (p. yo busqué)
to make clear
clarificar (p. yo clarifiqué)
to place (with c)
colocar (p. yo coloqué)
to dedicate
dedicar (p. yo dediqué)
to empack
desempacar (p. yo desempaqué)
to pack
empacar (p. yo empaqué)
to make a mistake
equivocarse (p. yo me equivoqué)
to explain
explicar (p. yo expliqué)
to fish
pescar (p. yo pesqué)
to take out
sacar (p. yo saqué)
to touch
tocar (p. yo toqué)
to turn off (an appliance, e.g.)
apagar (p. yo apagué)
to load, charge (a phone, e.g.)
cargar (p. yo cargué)
to hang
colgar (p. yo colgué)
to play (a game, e.g.)
jugar (p. yo jugué)
to arrive
llegar (p. yo llegué)
to pay
pagar (p. yo pagué)
to beat
pegar (p. yo pegué)
to hug
abrazar (p. yo abracé)
to catch up
alcanzar (p. yo alcancé)
to eat lunch
almorzar (p. yo almorcé)
to begin (with c)
comenzar (p. yo comencé)
to begin (with e)
empezar (p. yo empecé)
to throw
lanzar (p. yo lancé)
to fulfill
realizar (p. yo realicé)
to pray
rezar (p. yo recé)
to stumble
tropezar (p. yo tropecé)
conjugate “leer” (to read) in the preterite
irregular
leí, leíste, leyó, leímos, leísteis, leyeron
conjugate “oír” (to hear) in the preterite
irregular
oí, oíste, oyó, oímos, oísteis, oyeron
conjugate “construir” (to construct) in the preterite
irregular
construí, construiste, construyó, construimos, construisteis, construyeron
to fall
caer(se) (p. conjugate like leer)
to believe
creer (p. conjugate like leer)
to own, possess
poseer (p. conjugate like leer)
to ignore
desoír (p. conjugate like oír)
to finish (with c)
concluir (p. conjugate like construir)
to contribute
contribuir (p. conjugate like construir)
to distribute
distribuir (p. conjugate like construir)
to flee
huir (p. conjugate like construir)
to include
incluir (p. conjugate like construir)
to feel, intuit, have a sense
intuir (p. conjugate like construir)
conjugate “pedir” (to ask for) in the preterite
irregular
pedí, pediste, pidió, pedimos, pedisteis, pidieron.
conjugate dormir (to sleep) in the preterite
irregular
dormí, dormiste, durmió, dormimos, dormisteis, durmieron
conjugate “preferir” (to prefer) in the preterite
irregular
preferí, preferiste, prefirió, preferimos, preferisteis, prefirieron
to get
conseguir (p. conjugate like pedir)
to change (with co)
convertir (p. conjugate like pedir)
conjugate “reír” (to laugh) in the preterite
irregular
reí, reíste, rió, reímos, reísteis, rieron
to smile
sonreír (p. conjugate like reír)
to repeat
repetir (p. conjugate like pedir)
to follow
seguir (p. conjugate like pedir)
to serve
servir (p. conjugate like pedir)
to get dressed, to dress
vestir(se) (p. conjugate like pedir)
to die
morir (p. conjugate like dormir)
to have fun
divertir(se) (p. conjugate like preferir)
to lie (to tell a falsehood)
mentir (p. conjugate like preferir)
to feel, to be sorry
sentir(se) (p. conjugate like preferir)
conjugate “andar” (to walk) in the preterite
irregular
stem anduv-
anduve, anduviste, anduvo, anduvimos, anduvisteis, anduvieron
what is the preterite stem of “estar” (to be, e.g., in the living room)
estuv-
conj. estuve, etc. (like andar)
what is the preterite stem of “tener” (to have)?
tuv-
conj. tuve, tuviste, etc. like andar
conjugate “caber” (to fit) in the preterite
stem cup-
cupe, cupiste, cupo, cupimos, cupisteis, cupieron
what is the preterite stem of “haber” (helping verb: to have)
stem hub-
conj. hube, hubiste, etc. like caber
what is the preterite stem of “poder” (to be able to, can)
pud-
conj. pude, pudiste, etc. like caber
what is the preterite stem of “poner” (to put, place)?
pus-
conj. puse, pusiste, etc. like caber
what is the preterite stem of “saber” (to know, e.g., a fact)
sup-
conj. supe, supiste, etc., like caber
conjugate “hacer” (to do, to make) in the preterite.
irregular
stem hic-
hice, hiciste, hizo, hicimos, hicisteis, hicieron.
conjugate “querer” (to want [a thing], to love [a person]) in the
preterite
irregular
stem quis-
quise, quisiste, quiso, quisimos, quisisteis, quisieron
What is the preterite stem of “venir” (to come)?
vin-
conj. vine, viniste, etc. like querer
conjugate “atraer” (to attract) in the preterite
irregular
stem atraj-
atraje, atrajiste, atrajo, atrajimos, atrajisteis, atrajieron
What is the preterite stem of “decir” (to say, to tell)
dij-
conj. dije, dijiste, etc. like atraer
What is the preterite stem of producir (to produce)?
produj-
conj, protuje, protujiste, etc. like atraer
what is the preterite stem of “traer” (to bring)?
traj-
conj. traje, trajiste, etc. like atraer
What is the preterite stem of “traducir” (to translate)?
traduj-
conj. traduje, tradujiste, etc. like atraer.
to repair; to compose
componer (p. like poner)
to arrange; to dispose
disponer (p. like poner)
to assume
suponer (p. like poner)
to undo
deshacer (p. like hacer)
to make over; to rebuild
rehacer (p. like hacer)
to agree
convenir (p. like venir)
to disagree
desdecir (p. like decir)
to predict
predecir (p. like decir)
to reproduce
reproducir (p. like producir)
to distract
distraer (p. like traer)
what are the preterite forms of “dar” (to give)?
irregular
di, diste, dio, dimos, disteis, dieron
what are the preterite forms of “ser” (to be, e.g., a doctor)?
irregular
fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron
The preterite forms for “ser,” based on a completely different stem, are identical to those of “ir.”
what are the preterite forms of “ir” (to go)?
irregular
fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron
The preterite forms of “ir”, based on a different stem, are identical to those of “ser.”
They -did not go- to the beach on Sunday
-No fueron- al la playa el domingo.
Although the preterite forms for “ser” and “ir” are identical, context clues will usually make the translation obvious.
They -were- the champions of the golf tournament.
-Fueron- los campeones del torneo de golf.
Although the preterite forms for “ser” and “ir” are identical, context clues will usually make the translation obvious.
I -met- the school principal yesterday.
-Conocí- al director de la escuela ayer.
When used in the preterite tense, “conocer” (to be familiar with, to know [a person]) means “met” in the sense of having encountered a person for the first time.
He -found out- the truth.
Él -supo- la verdad.
When used in the preterite, “saber” (to know, e.g., a fact) means “found out” or “discovered.”
They did not -manage- to finish.
No -pudieron- terminar.
When used in the preterite, “poner” (to be able to, can) means “managed” in the sense of “was able to”
I -refused- to leave on time.
Yo -no quise- salir a tiempo.
When used negatively in the preterite tense, the verb “querer” (to want [a thing], to love [a person]) means “refused.”
Martha -tried- to help me.
Marta -quiso- ayudarme.
When used positively in the preterite, “querer” (to want, to love) means “tried”
I -received- news today. (verb with t)
-Tuve- noticias hoy.
When used in the preterite, “tener” (to have) means “received” or “got.”
