Lesson 5 of 6

Irregular Verbs in the Past

Past Tense Primer

These common expressions will help you follow events in the past. Read the examples and a short account before trying supported answers. The song is a memory aid, not something you need to memorize... Although I once had a student memorize all these in one day because of this very song.

Irregular Preterite Song

Sing these lines to the melody of “La cucaracha.” This song will highlights the "yo form" of each verb in the preterit (completed action) .

Tener es tuve

estar estuve

ir es fui y también ser

poder es pude , poner es puse

traje es para traer

hacer hice , andar anduve

saber supe , querer quise

decir dije , venir vine

dar di , ver vi

¡sin acentos!

  • Notice how none of these words have accent marks. Irregular preterite forms are written without tildes. ¡Sin acentos!
  • Ir and ser share fui: "I went" or "I was." Context gives the meaning.
  • Supe often means "I found out." I didn't know, and then BOOM! Suddenly, I knew.
  • Quise can mean "I wanted" or "I tried to," depending on context.
  • These preterite forms do not always mean the same thing as their imperfect counterparts.

Key Vocabulary

Common irregular first-person preterite expressions
Infinitive Past (yo) English
tener tuve I had
estar estuve I was
ir fui I went
ser fui I was
poder pude I could / managed to
poner puse I put
traer traje I brought
hacer hice I did / made
andar anduve I walked
saber supe I found out
querer quise I wanted / tried to
decir dije I said
venir vine I came
dar di I gave
ver vi I saw

Ejemplos

Read these expressions in context. Reveal the English whenever you need it.

1. Ayer tuve mucho trabajo.

Yesterday I had a lot of work.

2. Estuve en casa toda la mañana.

I was at home all morning.

3. Fui al supermercado.

I went to the supermarket.

4. Fui el primero en llegar.

I was the first to arrive.

5. No pude encontrar mis llaves.

I could not find my keys.

6. Puse el libro en la mesa.

I put the book on the table.

7. Traje comida para todos.

I brought food for everyone.

8. Hice la cena.

I made dinner.

9. Anduve por el parque.

I walked around the park.

10. Supe la verdad ayer.

I found out the truth yesterday.

11. Quise ayudar a mi amigo.

I wanted to help my friend.

12. Le dije la verdad.

I told him/her the truth.

13. Vine a casa temprano.

I came home early.

14. Le di un regalo.

I gave him/her a gift.

15. Vi una película.

I saw a movie.

Vocabulary Matching

Select a Spanish word, then select its English meaning to make a match.

Spanish

English

Meaning in Context

Select a Spanish word, then select its English meaning to make a match.

Spanish

English

Ordena las palabras

Drag the words or phrases to form the most logical complete sentence.

Keyboard: Tab to a word or phrase, then use the left and right arrow keys to move it.

Una cena con Ana

Me llamo Alex. Ayer tuve tiempo libre y quise ayudar a mi amiga Ana. Ana quería preparar una cena, pero no tenía comida. Fui al supermercado y vi pan, fruta y queso. Compré comida y la traje a su casa.

Puse la comida en la mesa e hice unos bocadillos1. Después no pude encontrar mi teléfono. Le dije a Ana: «No encuentro mi teléfono». Anduve por la casa y busqué en todas las habitaciones2.

De repente, oí música en la cocina. Fui a la cocina y vi mi teléfono debajo del queso3. Entonces supe dónde estaba mi teléfono. Le di un bocadillo a Ana y comimos juntos. Al final, vi una película con ella.

Multiple-Choice Comprehension

Select the "best-fit" answer based on the listening/reading from this lesson.

1. ¿Por qué quiso Alex ayudar a Ana?

2. ¿Adónde fue Alex para comprar comida?

3. ¿Qué trajo a la casa de Ana?

4. ¿Qué problema tuvo después de preparar la comida?

5. ¿Dónde estaba el teléfono?

6. ¿Qué hizo Alex al final?

 

Use the choices and the word bank to retell Alex's afternoon. Each expression comes from the examples or the reading.

Complete the Sentences

Complete the sentences using the most appropriate word or phrase from the list. You can click or tap on a word from the list to reveal its definition.

hice fui vi Puse tuve Traje
Accent marks:
  1. Ayer tiempo libre. (tuve / vine)
  2. Para comprar comida, al supermercado. (fui / di)
  3. pan, fruta y queso a la casa de Ana. (Traje / Supe)
  4. la comida en la mesa. (Puse / Anduve)
  5. Con pan y queso, unos bocadillos. (hice / estuve)
  6. Al final, una película con Ana. (vi / dije)

Three Irregular Imperfect Verbs

Spanish has only three verbs with irregular forms in the imperfect: ser, ir, and ver. You'll encounter these frequently when reading stories about how things were, what people used to do, and what was happening.

Read these expressions for meaning. The table is a reference, not something you need to memorize.

Irregular imperfect forms
Person ser ir ver
yo era iba veía
tú eras ibas veías
él / ella / usted era iba veía
nosotros/as éramos íbamos veíamos
ellos / ellas / ustedes eran iban veían

Ejemplos

Read the examples of ser, ir, and ver. Reveal the English meaning when you need it.

1. Cuando era niño, era muy tímido.

When I was a child, I was very shy.

2. Mi abuela era profesora.

My grandmother was a teacher.

3. Cuando era pequeño, iba al parque todos los días.

When I was little, I used to go to the park every day.

4. Antes, mis amigos iban a la escuela en autobús.

My friends used to go to school by bus.

5. De niño, veía dibujos animados los sábados.

As a child, I used to watch cartoons on Saturdays.

6. Cuando vivíamos en México, veíamos a nuestros abuelos cada semana.

When we lived in Mexico, we used to see our grandparents every week.

Match the Meaning

Select a Spanish word, then select its English meaning to make a match.

Spanish

English

Complete these short descriptions and routines. Each sentence gives two choices; the word bank is available too.

Complete the Sentences

Complete the sentences using the most appropriate word or phrase from the list. You can click or tap on a word from the list to reveal its definition.

iba eras veía era ibas íbamos veíamos éramos
Accent marks:
  1. De niño, yo muy tímido. (era / iba)
  2. De niña, tú muy tranquila. (eras / ibas)
  3. Mi hermano y yo vecinos de Ana. (éramos / íbamos)
  4. Todos los viernes, yo al parque para jugar. (iba / veía)
  5. Cuando eras pequeño, tú a la escuela en autobús. (ibas / eras)
  6. Antes, mis amigos y yo a visitar a los abuelos. (íbamos / éramos)
  7. Los sábados, yo dibujos animados en la tele. (veía / iba)
  8. Cuando vivíamos en México, a nuestros abuelos cada semana. (veíamos / éramos)

You can begin with Era…, Iba a…, or Veía… and use your own words to finish.

Conversation Questions

Answer aloud or in writing about your childhood. Use the examples for support. These questions have no single correct answer and are not graded.

Conversation Questions

Answer aloud or in writing about your own life. Use the sentence starters and the vocabulary above. These questions are not graded.