The conjugation in the past indefinite of indicative
To conjugate a verb in the past tense you have to delete the endings -ar, -er, -ir from infinitive and add the corresponding ones to each person, as shown in the table. The verbs that end in -er and -ir adopt the same endings.
Person -ar
talk -er
learn -ir
live
I spoke I learned I lived
you talked you learned you lived
he / she / you spoke learned lived
we talk we learned we live
you talked you learned you lived
they talked they learned they lived
Persona-ar
hablar-er
aprender-ir
vivir
yohabléaprendíviví
túhablasteaprendisteviviste
el/ella/ustedhablóaprendióvivió
nosotros/-ashablamosaprendimosvivimos
vosotros/-ashablasteisaprendisteisvivisteis
ellos/-as/ustedeshablaronaprendieronvivieron
Irregular conjugation
Some verbs in indefinite conjugate irregularly.
This table includes irregular indefinite conjugation of the most common verbs.
Infinitive Past Undefined
I walked, fit cupe, cupiste, quota, cupimos, cupisteis, fit Give say, give, give, say, give, I said, you said, said, we said, you said, they said
, I was there, you were, you were, we were, you were, you were
there were, do, did, I went, you went, it was, we went, you went, hear ,I could, put on, wanting wanted, know I knew,
To be I went, you went, it was, we went, you went, you were
have had, bring suit, you brought, come I came, you came, see saw,
Persona-ar
hablar-er
aprender-ir
vivir
yohabléaprendíviví
túhablasteaprendisteviviste
el/ella/ustedhablóaprendióvivió
nosotros/-ashablamosaprendimosvivimos
vosotros/-ashablasteisaprendisteisvivisteis
ellos/-as/ustedeshablaronaprendieronvivieron
Sometimes it is necessary to change the final consonant of the root in the first person of the singular of the verbs ending in -ar. This is done to keep the pronunciation of the root offered by the infinitive indefinitely.
Example:
from c to qu → dock - docked
from g to gu → hang up - hung up
from gu to gü → find out - find out
from z to c → start - I started
de c a qu → atracar - atraqué
de g a gu → colgar - colgué
de gu a gü → averiguar - averigüé
de z a c → empezar - empecé
The verbs ending in -er and -ir that contain a vowel at the end of the root do not add an i but one and in the third person singular and plural.
Example:
read - distribute
Verbs ending in -er or -ir whose root ends in -ll or -ñ do not add an i in the third person singular and plural.
Example:
tañer - tañeron
bullir - bulló / bulleron
tañer - tañó/tañeron
bullir - bulló/bulleron
Some verbs ending in -ir require modifying the vowel of the root, e → i, or → u, in the third singular and plural person. Check the list of irregular verbs.
Example:
ask - asked, asked, asked, asked, asked, asked
sleep - I slept, slept, slept, slept, slept, slept
The verbs ending in -ducir (such as translating or driving) adopt the irregular ending -hage in the first person of the singular and substitute the c for a j in the rest.
pedir - pedí, pediste, pidió, pedimos, pedisteis, pidieron
dormir - dormí, dormiste, durmió, dormimos, dormisteis, durmieron
Los verbos acabados en -ducir (como traducir o conducir) adoptan la terminación irregular -uje en la primera persona del singular y sustituyen la c por una j en el resto.
Example:
translate -traducir - traduje, tradujiste, tradujo, tradujimos, tradujisteis, tradujeron
