Pretérito Indefinido in Spanish
Learn how to form and use the Spanish pretérito indefinido for completed actions in the past.
Pretérito Indefinido in Spanish
The pretérito indefinido is used to talk about completed actions in the past. It is especially common when the action happened at a finished time, such as ayer, la semana pasada, or en 2024.
How to form the pretérito indefinido
Regular -ar verbs use these endings:
| Subject | Ending | hablar |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -é | hablé |
| tú | -aste | hablaste |
| él / ella / usted | -ó | habló |
| nosotros / nosotras | -amos | hablamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | -asteis | hablasteis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | -aron | hablaron |
Regular -er and -ir verbs use the same endings:
| Subject | Ending | comer | vivir |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | -í | comí | viví |
| tú | -iste | comiste | viviste |
| él / ella / usted | -ió | comió | vivió |
| nosotros / nosotras | -imos | comimos | vivimos |
| vosotros / vosotras | -isteis | comisteis | vivisteis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | -ieron | comieron | vivieron |
Examples:
- Ayer hablé con Marta. — I spoke with Marta yesterday.
- Comimos a las dos. — We ate at two.
- Vivieron en Madrid durante tres años. — They lived in Madrid for three years.
When to use the pretérito indefinido
1. Completed actions in the past
Use the pretérito indefinido when an action started and finished in the past.
- Compré un libro. — I bought a book.
- Ana llegó a las ocho. — Ana arrived at eight.
- Terminamos el trabajo ayer. — We finished the work yesterday.
2. Actions in a finished time period
It is commonly used with expressions that refer to a completed period of time.
- Ayer fui al médico. — I went to the doctor yesterday.
- La semana pasada estudié mucho. — I studied a lot last week.
- El año pasado viajamos a México. — We travelled to Mexico last year.
- En 2025 viví en Barcelona. — I lived in Barcelona in 2025.
Common time expressions include:
- ayer — yesterday
- anoche — last night
- anteayer — the day before yesterday
- la semana pasada — last week
- el mes pasado — last month
- el año pasado — last year
- hace dos días — two days ago
3. A sequence of completed actions
The pretérito indefinido is also common when telling what happened step by step.
- Me levanté, desayuné y salí de casa. — I got up, had breakfast, and left the house.
- Llegó, abrió la puerta y entró. — He arrived, opened the door, and went in.
Common irregular verbs
Some very common verbs have irregular forms in the pretérito indefinido.
| Verb | Yo | Él / ella | Ellos / ellas |
|---|---|---|---|
| ser / ir | fui | fue | fueron |
| tener | tuve | tuvo | tuvieron |
| estar | estuve | estuvo | estuvieron |
| hacer | hice | hizo | hicieron |
| poder | pude | pudo | pudieron |
| poner | puse | puso | pusieron |
| venir | vine | vino | vinieron |
| decir | dije | dijo | dijeron |
These are only some of the most common forms. See Irregular Pretérito Indefinido Verbs for the main irregular patterns and conjugations.
Spelling changes
Some verbs change their spelling in the yo form to keep the original pronunciation.
- buscar → busqué
- llegar → llegué
- empezar → empecé
Examples:
- Busqué mis llaves. — I looked for my keys.
- Llegué tarde. — I arrived late.
- Empecé a estudiar español en 2024. — I started studying Spanish in 2024.
Pretérito indefinido vs pretérito perfecto
A useful beginner rule is:
- pretérito indefinido → completed action in a finished past time
- pretérito perfecto → past action connected to the present
Compare:
- Ayer hablé con Ana. — I spoke with Ana yesterday.
- Hoy he hablado con Ana. — I have spoken with Ana today.
- El año pasado viajamos mucho. — We travelled a lot last year.
- Este año hemos viajado mucho. — We have travelled a lot this year.
This contrast is especially common in Spain. In many parts of Latin America, speakers use the pretérito indefinido more often in situations where speakers in Spain may use the pretérito perfecto.
Common mistake
Do not use the present tense for a completed action just because the English sentence uses a simple verb form.
- ❌ Ayer voy al médico.
- ✅ Ayer fui al médico.
Also pay attention to written accents:
- hablo — I speak
- habló — he / she spoke
Quick rule
Use the pretérito indefinido for actions that were completed in the past, especially with finished time expressions such as ayer, la semana pasada, and el año pasado.