Definition And Examples of Preterite Sentences In Spanish

The preterite is one of the compound tenses in Spanish, so called because it is conjugated with the auxiliary verb (to have) and the participle of the verb.

The preterit(e) indicates an action that occurred immediately before another action in the past, thus linking two actions that have already occurred. For instance:

• “As soon as the water boiled, the vegetables were thrown into it”: the action of boiling takes place in the instant preceding the action of throwing, which also takes place in the past.
• “If the opposing team hadn’t scored, our team would have won”: The hypothetical winning action takes place in the past, before another action (scoring a goal).

How do I conjugate the past tense?

The past tense is conjugated with the past tense avoir and with the verb in the participle. For example, a dream in the past would be: I dreamed, you dreamed, I dreamed…, I dreamed, you dreamed, I dreamed…

The past tense is conjugated both in the indicative and in the subjunctive.

Let’s see below how to pair for each of these modes. Let’s take the example of the verb say:

Conjugation of the Past Indicative

This verb tense is also known (according to Andrés Bello’s terminology) as past preterite .

Conjugation of Preterite Subjunctive

This tense is also known (in Andrés Bello’s terminology) as the perfect tense.

Examples Of Preterite (Past Tense):

Examples of the past tense of the subjunctive:

1. Verb to walk : (I) would have or would have walked, (you) would have or would have walked, (he) would have or would have walked, (you) would have or would have walked, (we) would have or would have walked, (you) would have or would have walked , (you) would have or would have walked, (they) would have or would have walked.
2. Verb to allocate : (I) would have or would have destined, (you) would have or would have destined, (he) would have or would have destined, (you) would have or would have destined, (we) would have or would have destined, (you) would have or would have destined , (you) would have or would have destined, (they) would have or would have destined.
3. Verb to promote : (I) would have or would have promoted, (you) would have or would have promoted, (he) would have or would have promoted, (you) would have or would have promoted, (we) would have or would have promoted, (you) would have or would have promoted , (you) would have or would have promoted, (they) would have or would have promoted.
4. Verb to turn : (I) would have or would have turned, (you) would have or would have turned, (he) would have or would have turned, (you) would have or would have turned, (we) would have or would have turned, (you) would have or would have turned , (you) would have or would have turned, (they) would have or would have turned.
5. Verb to admit : (I) would have or would have admitted, (you) would have or would have admitted, (he) would have or would have admitted, (you) would have or would have admitted, (we) would have or would have admitted, (you) would have or would have admitted , (you) would have or would have admitted, (they) would have or would have admitted.
6. Verb to drink : (I) would have or would have drunk, (you) would have or would have drunk, (he) would have or would have drunk, (you) would have or would have drunk, (we) would have or would have drunk, (you) would have or would have drunk , (you) would have or would have drunk, (they) would have or would have drunk.
7. Verb to acquire : (I) would have or would have acquired, (you) would have or would have acquired, (he) would have or would have acquired, (you) would have or would have acquired, (we) would have or would have acquired, (you) would have or would have acquired , (you) would have or would have acquired, (they) would have or would have acquired.
8. Verb to facilitate : (I) would have or would have facilitated, (you) would have or would have facilitated, (he) would have or would have facilitated, (you) would have or would have facilitated, (we) would have or would have facilitated, (you) would have or would have facilitated , (you) would have or would have facilitated, (they) would have or would have facilitated.
9. Verb to understand : (I) would have or would have understood, (you) would have or would have understood, (he) would have or would have understood, (you) would have or would have understood, (we) would have or would have understood, (you) would have or would have understood , (you) would have or would have understood, (they) would have or would have understood.
10. Verb to smell : (I) would have or would have smelled, (you) would have or would have smelled, (he) would have or would have smelled, (you) would have or would have smelled, (we) would have or would have smelled, (you) would have or would have smelled , (you) would have or would have smelled, (they) would have or would have smelled.
11. Verb treat : (I) would have or would have tried, (you) would have or would have tried, (he) would have or would have tried, (you) would have or would have tried, (we) would have or would have tried, (you) would have or would have tried , (you) would have or would have tried, (they) would have or would have tried.
12. Verb to serve : (I) would have or would have served, (you) would have or would have served, (he) would have or would have served, (you) would have or would have served, (we) would have or would have served, (you) would have or would have served , (you) would have or would have served, (they) would have or would have served.
13. Verb to trot : (I) would have or would have trotted, (you) would have or would have trotted, (he) would have or would have trotted, (you) would have or would have trotted, (we) would have or would have trotted, (you) would have or would have trotted , (you) would have or would have trotted, (they) would have or would have trotted.
14. Verb to clean : (I) would have or would have cleaned, (you) would have or would have cleaned, (he) would have or would have cleaned, (you) would have or would have cleaned, (we) would have or would have cleaned, (you) would have or would have cleaned , (you) would have or would have cleaned, (they) would have or would have cleaned.
15. Verb to push : (I) would have or would have pushed, (you) would have or would have pushed, (he) would have or would have pushed, (you) would have or would have pushed, (we) would have or would have pushed, (you) would have or would have pushed , (you) would have or would have pushed, (they) would have or would have pushed.
16. Verb to lie : (I) would have or would have lied, (you) would have or would have lied, (he) would have or would have lied, (you) would have or would have lied, (we) would have or would have lied, (you) would have or would have lied , (you) would have or would have lied, (they) would have or would have lied.
17. Verb to weigh : (I) would have or would have weighed, (you) would have or would have weighed, (he) would have or would have weighed, (you) would have or would have weighed, (we) would have or would have weighed, (you) would have or would have weighed , (you) would have or would have weighed, (they) would have or would have weighed.
18. Verb to put : (I) would have or would have put, (you) would have or would have put, (he) would have or would have put, (you) would have or would have put, (we) would have or would have put, (you) would have or would have put , (you) would have or would have put, (they) would have or would have put.
19. Verb to sell : (I) would have or would have sold, (you) would have or would have sold, (he) would have or would have sold, (you) would have or would have sold, (we) would have or would have sold, (you) would have or would have sold , (you) would have or would have sold, (they) would have or would have sold.
20. Verb to do : (I) would have or would have done, (you) would have or would have done, (he) would have or would have done, (you) would have or would have done, (we) would have or would have done, (you) would have or would have done , (you) would have or would have done, (they) would have or would have done.

Examples of past tense indicative:

1. Verb to sing : (I) would have sung, (you) would have sung, (he) would have sung, (you) would have sung, (we) would have sung, (you) would have sung, (you) would have sung, (they) would have sung .
2. Verb to encourage : (I) would have encouraged, (you) would have encouraged, (he) would have encouraged, (you) would have encouraged, (we) would have encouraged, (you) would have encouraged, (you) would have encouraged, (they) would have encouraged .
3. Verb to lose : (I) had lost, (you) had lost, (he) had lost, (you) had lost, (we) had lost, (you) had lost, (you) had lost, (they) had lost .
4. Verb to cover : (I) would have covered, (you) would have covered, (he) would have covered, (you) would have covered, (we) would have covered, (you) would have covered, (you) would have covered, (they) would have covered .
5. Verb to understand : (I) would have understood, (you) would have understood, (he) would have understood, (you) would have understood, (we) would have understood, (you) would have understood, (you) would have understood, (they) would have understood .
6. Verb to admit : (I) would have admitted, (you) would have admitted, (he) would have admitted, (you) would have admitted, (we) would have admitted, (you) would have admitted, (you) would have admitted, (they) would have admitted .
7. Pause verb : (I) would have thought, (you) would have thought, (he) would have thought, (you) would have thought, (we) would have thought, (you) would have thought, (you) would have thought, (they) would have thought .
8. Verb emerge : (I) have emerged, (you) have emerged, (he) have emerged, (you) have emerged, (we) have emerged, (you) have emerged, (you) have emerged, (they) have emerged .
9. Verb to incur : (I) have incurred, (you) have incurred, (he) has incurred, (you) has incurred, (we) have incurred, (you) have incurred, (you) have incurred, (they) have incurred .
10. Verb to lift : (I) would have lifted, (you) would have lifted, (he) would have lifted, (you) would have lifted, (we) would have lifted, (you) would have lifted, (you) would have lifted, (they) would have lifted .
11. Verb to run : (I) would have run, (you) would have run, (he) would have run, (you) would have run, (we) would have run, (you) would have run, (you) would have run, (they) would have run .
12. Verb to open : (I) would have opened, (you) would have opened, (he) would have opened, (you) would have opened, (we) would have opened, (you) would have opened, (you) would have opened, (they) would have opened .
13. Verb to chase : (I) would have chased, (you) would have chased, (he) would have chased, (you) would have chased, (we) would have chased, (you) would have chased, (you) would have chased, (they) would have chased .
14. Verb to fail : (I) would have failed, (you) would have failed, (he) would have failed, (you) would have failed, (we) would have failed, (you) would have failed, (you) would have failed, (they) would have failed .
15. Verb to fear : (I) would have feared, (you) would have feared, (he) would have feared, (you) would have feared, (we) would have feared, (you) would have feared, (you) would have feared, (they) would have feared .
16. Verb to insure : (I) would have insured, (you) would have insured, (he) would have insured, (you) would have insured, (we) would have insured, (you) would have insured, (you) would have insured, (they) would have insured .
17. Verb to lie : (I) lied, (you) lied, (he) lied, (you) lied, (we) lied, (you) lied, (you) lied, (they) lied .
18. Verb to commit : (I) have committed, (you) have committed, (he) has committed, (you) has committed, (we) has committed, (you) has committed, (you) has committed, (they) has committed .
19. Verb to pretend : (I) would have pretended, (you) would have pretended, (he) would have pretended, (you) would have pretended, (we) would have pretended, (you) would have pretended, (you) would have pretended, (they) would have pretended .
20. Verb to see : (I) have seen, (you) have seen, (he) has seen, (you) have seen, (we) have seen, (you) have seen, (you) have seen, (they) have seen .

External Source:

https://www.thoughtco.com/preterite-verbs-1691675

For more information:

• 5 General Characteristics of Verb with examples
• Difference between regular and irregular verbs with table
• What is an adverb?
• What is nonverbal communication?