The preterite tense in Spanish helps us discuss things that happened in the past. We use it for actions that are complete.

How to Change Regular Verbs

1. For AR Verbs (like hablar - to talk):

   • Yo hablé (I talked)
   • Tú hablaste (You talked)
   • Él/Ella/Usted habló (He/She/You formal talked)
   • Nosotros/Nosotras hablamos (We talked)
   • Vosotros/Vosotras hablasteis (You all talked)
   • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes hablaron (They/You all formal talked)

2. For ER Verbs (like comer - to eat):

   • Yo comí (I ate)
   • Tú comiste (You ate)
   • Él/Ella/Usted comió (He/She/You formal ate)
   • Nosotros/Nosotras comimos (We ate)
   • Vosotros/Vosotras comisteis (You all ate)
   • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes comieron (They/You all formal ate)

3. For IR Verbs (like vivir - to live):

   • Yo viví (I lived)
   • Tú viviste (You lived)
   • Él/Ella/Usted vivió (He/She/You formal lived)
   • Nosotros/Nosotras vivimos (We lived)
   • Vosotros/Vosotras vivisteis (You all lived)
   • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes vivieron (They/You all formal lived)

When to Use the Preterite Tense

We use the preterite tense to describe actions that are done and over with in the past. Here are some examples:

• Ayer, fui al cine. (Yesterday, I went to the movies.)
• Ella compró una casa. (She bought a house.)

By learning how to change these verbs and when to use them, you can get better at telling past stories in Spanish. Practice with different regular verbs and make sentences to improve your skills!