Learning Irregular Past Tense Spanish Verbs

It is not as well prolonged immediately after commencing to find out Spanish verb conjugation that a student encounters the Spanish previous tenses. These Spanish previous tenses are named the preterite and the imperfect and the two are broadly utilised and it is for that reason really critical to entirely find out when to use the two tense and how the two is formed.

There are irregular Spanish verbs in the two previous tenses (shock,shock!), not as well several in the imperfect, but the preterite does have some of the most irregular conjugations of all the tenses, so be warned.

We will now take a search at both of these previous tenses, explaining when they are utilised, regular formation for both of the verb groups and irregular verb differences.

The Imperfect Previous Tense in Spanish

The imperfect tense is utilized to refer to actions in the previous that happened repeatedly this kind of as,

I employed to stroll residence every single day - Caminaba cada da

It is as well employed to refer to actions in the previous that occurred more than an prolonged period.

I utilized to eat paella often - Coma frecuentemente paella

And for "setting the stage" for a previous occasion.

We had been coming house when we saw Juan - Venamos para casa cuando vimos a Juan

Non bodily actions this kind of as emotions and thoughts will as well typically use the imperfect tense,

Juan was feeling sick - Juan estaba enfermo

In Spanish there are two sets of regular verb endings for the imperfect tense, one particular is utilised for verbs ending in -ar and the other for verbs ending in -er and -ir, these endings seldom modify even when utilized with irregular verbs and are as follows;

Enviar (to send)

yo envi -aba (I was sending)

t envi -abas (you had been sending)

el/ella envi -aba (he/she was sending)

nosotros envi -bamos (we have been sending)

vosotros envi -abais (you have been sending)

ellos/ellas envi -aban (they have been sending)

Tener (to contain)

yo ten -a (I was obtaining)

t ten -as (you have been possessing)

el/ella ten -a (he/she was getting)

nosotros ten -amos (we had been possessing)

vosotros ten -ais (you had been getting)

ellos/ellas ten -an (they have been obtaining)

Decir (to say)

yo dec -a (I was saying)

t dec -as (you had been saying)

el/ella dec -a (he/she was saying)

nosotros dec -amos (we had been saying)

vosotros dec -ais (you have been saying)

ellos/ellas dec -an (they had been saying)

There are two exceptions to the regular pattern of the imperfect tense and they are the critical verbs 'ser' (to be) and 'ir' (to go) which will each need to have to be completely studied and they are conjugated as shown under;

Ser (to be)

yo er -a (I was)

t er -as (you have been)

el/ella er -a (he/she was )

nosotros r -amos (we have been)

vosotros er -ais (you have been)

ellos/ellas er -an (they had been)

Ir (to go)

yo ib -a (I was going)

t ib -as (you have been going)

el/ella ib -a (he/she was going)

nosotros b -amos (we have been going)

vosotros ib -ais (you had been going)

ellos/ellas ib -an (they had been going)

The Preterite Previous Tense in Spanish

The preterite tense is employed often and is utilised to describe previous actions that are observed to be finished. As with the Imperfect tense the stem of the verb is utilized with the tense endings and, as with the imperfect, there are two sets of endings, 1 for -ar verbs and the other for -ir and -er verbs.

Enviar (to send)

yo envi - (I sent)

t envi -aste (you sent)

el/ella envi - (he/she sent)

nosotros envi -amos (we sent)

vosotros envi -asteis (you sent)

ellos/ellas envi -aron (they sent)

Coger (to take)

yo cog - (I took)

t cog -iste (you took)

el/ella cog -i (he/she took)

nosotros cog -imos (we took)

vosotros cog -isteis (you took)

ellos/ellas cog -ieron (they took)

Salir (to leave)

yo sal - (I left)

t sal -iste (you left)

el/ella sal -i (he/she left)

nosotros sal -imos (we left)

vosotros sal -isteis (you left)

ellos/ellas sal -ieron (they left)

As opposed to the imperfect tense there are a amount of verbs that include irregularities in the formation of the preterite tense and to checklist them all along with their numerous variations would be also huge a occupation for this write-up.

The most typically employed irregular previous tense verbs in the preterite tense are;

estar (to be),

dar (to give),

haber (to include),

tener (to incorporate),

poner (to place),

hacer (to do,make),

poder (to be ready to, can),

querer (to need to have),

ser (to be),

decir (to say)

ir (to go)

All of which are very distinct and will both want mastering individually however!