Spanish preterite endings: the two regular sets

Spanish preterite endings

What are the regular Spanish preterite endings?

Remove the infinitive ending, then add the ending that matches the subject. Hablar becomes hablé, hablaste, habló, hablamos, hablasteis, hablaron. Comer and vivir share one pattern: comí/comiste/comió/comimos/comisteis/comieron and viví/viviste/vivió/vivimos/vivisteis/vivieron.

The written accents are essential: yo forms end in -é or -í, while él, ella and usted forms end in -ó or -ió. Hable and habló are not interchangeable, and hablo without an accent is present tense.

Use the preterite for a completed action or bounded sequence: Ayer estudié dos horas; primero cenamos y después caminamos. This page stays with regular forms. Irregular stems and the preterite-versus-imperfect contrast need separate rules.

Form a regular preterite in three steps

Find the infinitive and remove -ar, -er or -ir.

Choose the correct set: -ar has its own endings; -er and -ir share one set.

Match the subject and preserve the written accent. A past-time marker such as ayer helps with meaning but does not create the tense by itself.

32 regular Spanish preterite examples

The examples cover every person in both ending sets, common completed-event markers, short sequences and the accent or present-tense contrasts that cause beginner mistakes.

Learn the preterite in four blocks

Master the -ar set, then the shared -er/-ir set before adding time markers and spelling checks.

When should you use the preterite?

Use it for an action treated as complete: a call that ended, a meal that happened, or a trip with a finished time frame. Ayer, anoche, el lunes and la semana pasada often support this reading.

Use it for a sequence of completed events: Primero llamé, después preparé la cena y finalmente descansé. The preterite advances the story one event at a time.

Do not assume every past description takes this tense. Background, habitual past actions and actions in progress often require the imperfect. Also keep irregular verbs and spelling changes outside the regular chart.

Hola Cards is a Spanish flashcard app from holacards.org for iOS and Android. It is free to download, requires no account, has no ads, and works offline. The interface is available in English, Russian, and Portuguese; cards support translations in 28 languages and 18 practice and game modes. You can import these sentences into a custom group for Spanish audio, writing, pronunciation, and spaced review. Hola Cards does not conjugate verbs or grade tense choice automatically, so use this guide to choose and verify every form.

Connect the preterite with present endings, subject pronouns, verb vocabulary, daily routines and writing practice.

Present-tense endings / Subject pronouns / 50 beginner verbs / Daily routine phrases / Spanish writing practice app

A five-minute preterite routine

1. Choose one regular -ar verb and one regular -er or -ir verb.
2. Write both six-form charts from memory.
3. Circle the four singular forms with a written accent across the two charts.
4. Turn eight infinitives into completed sentences with ayer.
5. Read, hear and write the sentences again without looking at the chart.

Grammar references

The regular forms and their A2 teaching scope were checked against these primary sources.

• RAE–ASALE Spanish conjugation models: pretérito perfecto simple
• Instituto Cervantes A1–A2 grammar inventory: past-tense forms and completed events

**Regular Spanish preterite: 32 examples**

Hablé con Ana ayer. - I spoke with Ana yesterday.
Trabajaste desde casa. - You worked from home.
María llegó a las ocho. - María arrived at eight.
Estudiamos dos horas. - We studied for two hours.
Viajasteis en junio. - You all travelled in June.
Compraron los billetes. - They bought the tickets.
Caminé hasta el hotel. - I walked to the hotel.
Llamaste a tu madre. - You called your mother.
Comí con mis amigos. - I ate with my friends.
Bebiste un café. - You drank a coffee.
Aprendió la regla. - She learned the rule.
Comimos temprano. - We ate early.
Bebisteis agua. - You all drank water.
Vendieron la casa. - They sold the house.
Viví en Madrid en 2025. - I lived in Madrid in 2025.
Escribiste tres mensajes. - You wrote three messages.
Salió después de comer. - He left after eating.
Vivimos allí dos años. - We lived there for two years.
Abristeis la ventana. - You all opened the window.
Decidieron quedarse. - They decided to stay.
Ayer cociné pasta. - Yesterday I cooked pasta.
Anoche cenamos tarde. - Last night we ate dinner late.
La semana pasada visitaron Sevilla. - Last week they visited Seville.
En 2025 viví cerca del mar. - In 2025 I lived near the sea.
Primero llamé al hotel. - First I called the hotel.
Después preparaste la cena. - Then you prepared dinner.
Luego sonó el teléfono. - Then the phone rang.
Finalmente descansamos. - Finally we rested.
Hablé con él. - I spoke with him.
Ella habló primero. - She spoke first.
Ayer hablamos del viaje. - Yesterday we talked about the trip.
En 2024 vivimos en Lima. - In 2024 we lived in Lima.