Preterite: Part IV
Notes:
- The written lesson is below.
- Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.
In order to preserve the sound of the infinitive, a number of verbs change orthographically (spelling) in the preterite tense. The following changes occur in the “yo” form only:
Verbs that end in -gar change g to gu
Verbs that end in -car change c to qu
Verbs that end in -zar change z to c
Here are three examples:
yo jugué (jugar)
yo busqué (buscar)
yo almorcé (almorzar)
Some common orthographic changing verbs for the preterite tense in these categories are:
-gar | -car | -zar |
---|---|---|
cegar | aparcar | almorzar |
colgar | buscar | autorizar |
jugar | clarificar | cazar |
llegar | clasificar | comenzar |
pagar | destacar | cruzar |
plegar | empacar | empezar |
regar | justificar | forzar |
rogar | practicar | organizar |
tragar | sacar | simbolizar |
vagar | tocar | tropezarse |
For verbs that end in -aer, -eer, -´Çðù, and -oer, the él/ella/usted forms use the ending “²âó” (rather than ió) and the third person plural uses the ending “yeron” (rather than ieron). The remaining forms gain a written accent over the letter “i.”
creer
creÃ
creÃste
cre²âó
creÃmos
creÃsteis
creyeron
Other verbs like creer include:
caer
leer
´Çðù
poseer
proveer
roer
Exceptions to this rule include:
traer
atraer
distraer
Verbs that end in -uir change in the same way, but the written accent over the letter “i” only occurs in the yo form.
construir
construÃ
construiste
constru²âó
construimos
construisteis
construyeronOther verbs like construir include:
contribuir
destruir
fluir
incluir
influir
The preterite has quite a few irregular verbs, so flashcards can really help you to master them:
Verb Flashcards
Complete List
preterite: creer, caer, leer, ´Çðù
³¦°ù±ðÃ
³¦°ù±ðÃste
cre²âó
³¦°ù±ðÃmos
³¦°ù±ðÃsteis
creyeron
preterite: huir, construir, contribuir, incluir
hui
huiste
hu²âó
huimos
huisteis
huyeron