The preterite is used to describe actions completed in the past, e.g.: Ontem comprei um computador.
Unlike the imperfect (comprava), which describes ongoing or habitual past situations, the preterite is used for completed events with a clear endpoint.
The preterite is formed by adding specific endings to the verb stem. The endings vary depending on the subject (eu, tu, etc.) and the verb type (-ar, -er, -ir).
👉 Note: the nós form (falámos) is distinct from the present (falamos) by the accent.
👉 Note: the nós form (partimos) is identical to the present.
Some verbs change spelling in the eu form:
-car → -quei (ficar → fiquei)
-gar → -guei (pagar → paguei)
-çar → -cei (começar → comecei)
Some very common verbs are irregular and must be memorized:
👉 These verbs often have irregular stems across the paradigm.
The preterite is used for completed, specific events in the past, often with time markers such as:
ontem (yesterday)
na semana passada (last week)
Q: Why is it eu fiz and NOT eu fizé? Regular -ar verbs have an accent in the eu form (falei), but irregular verbs do not follow this pattern. The verb fazer is irregular (fiz), so no accent is used.
Q: Why is it ela quis and NOT ela queriu? The verb querer is irregular in the preterite and uses the stem quis- (quis, quiseste, quis, quisemos, quiseram).
Q: Why is it eu paguei and NOT eu pagé? Verbs ending in -gar insert a u in the eu form of the preterite to preserve pronunciation: pagar → paguei (not pagé).
Q: Why is it eles leram and NOT eles leieram? In Portuguese, verbs like ler and crer form the preterite regularly (li, leu, leram). The -yeron pattern seen in Spanish does not exist in Portuguese.
Write the preterite (pretérito perfeito) form of the verb:
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Conjugate the following verbs in the past using either the preterite or the imperfect:
Fill in the blanks:
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