Three verb families, one past tense. Learn the endings below and you can put hundreds of Spanish verbs into the past. Note: -ER and -IR verbs share identical endings — learn them once, use them for both.
| Pronombre | hablar (to speak) — -ar | comer (to eat) — -er | vivir (to live) — -ir |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablé | comí | viví |
| tú | hablaste | comiste | viviste |
| él/ella/usted | habló | comió | vivió |
| nosotros | hablamos | comimos | vivimos |
| vosotros | hablasteis | comisteis | vivisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablaron | comieron | vivieron |
The -ER and -IR preterite endings are identical — learn them once for both.
This introduction covers Las terminaciones del pretérito — Preterite Endings within Preterite (regular verbs) for GCSE Spanish. Revise Preterite (regular verbs) in Time Frames for GCSE Spanish with 13 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 1 of 4 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Preterite (regular verbs)
Quick recall flashcards
Conjugate COMER in the preterite tense (all 6 persons)
yo com**í** — I ate
tú com**iste** — you ate
él/ella com**ió** — he/she ate
nosotros com**imos** — we ate
vosotros com**isteis** — you (pl.) ate
ellos/ellas com**ieron** — they ate
Pattern: -ER preterite endings: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron
Conjugate VIVIR in the preterite tense (all 6 persons)
yo viv**í** — I lived
tú viv**iste** — you lived
él/ella viv**ió** — he/she lived
nosotros viv**imos** — we lived
vosotros viv**isteis** — you (pl.) lived
ellos/ellas viv**ieron** — they lived
Pattern: -IR preterite endings: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron