The Preterite or Simple Past

The simple past is often referred to as the preterite. On this site, we have kept the name simple past to make a clear correspondence with French. The simple past is particular in Spanish because it is the basis for the imperfect and future subjunctive tenses.

Regular verbs are in the majority but obviously, there are irregularities in the most common verbs that should be known. Simple past tenses are classified into three families:
- regular simple past tenses called "weak". The verb stem is then stable and the stress falls on the ending.
- simple past tenses with vowel modification of the stem. The e changes to i. The stress falls on the ending.
- simple past tenses called "strong", numbering fourteen, where the stress falls on the last vowel of the stem in the first and third persons singular.
It should also be noted that unlike French, the simple past is used very frequently in spoken language and even more so in Latin America. In short, it is essential to know it perfectly.

1) Regular verbs

They are formed simply by taking the stem with its ending:
- verbs in -ar: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron
- verbs in -er and -ir: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron

2) Verbs with vowel irregularity

The stem of these verbs is modified because the stress falls on the ending. This irregularity only concerns the third persons singular and plural. The other persons are not affected.
- stem vowel e > i: él pidió, ellos pidieron (pedir)
- stem vowel o > u: él durmió, ellos durmieron (dormir)
- absorption of i: él bruñó (bruñir), él bulló (bullir)
- transformation of i > y: él rayó (raer), él creyó (creer), él royó (roer), él oyó (oír)
- transformation into j: yo produje, él produjo (producir) (in all persons)

3) Strong simple past tenses

The so-called "strong" simple past tenses, numbering sixteen, where the stress falls on the last vowel of the stem in the first and third persons singular. The irregularity is maintained throughout the conjugation. Here is the list of these exceptions:

4) Verbs in -ucir and -ecir

Verbs in -ucir and -ecir see their "c" transform into "j" in the simple past. The stress marks on yo and él disappear and the i of the 3rd person plural disappears.
example: decir
- (yo) dije
- (tú) dijiste
- (él) dijo
- (nosotros) dijimos
- (vosotros) dijisteis
- (ellos) dijeron

5) Other exceptions

Finally, note the irregularities of the verbs dar, ir, ser and ver. Ser and ir share the same simple past.
- dar: yo di, él dio
- ver: yo vi, él vio
- ser: yo fui, él fue
- ir: yo fui, él fue