Lesson Topics
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, -oír, and -oer, the él/ella/usted forms use the ending “yó” (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
creí
creíste
creyó
creímos
creísteis
creyeron
Other verbs like creer include:
caer
leer
oír
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
construí
construiste
construyó
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, oír
creí
creíste
creyó
creímos
creísteis
creyeron
preterite: huir, construir, contribuir, incluir
hui
huiste
huyó
huimos
huisteis
huyeron
