The main rule
Drop -ar, -er or -ir and add the ending for the person. -ar: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron. -er and -ir: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron. Use it for an action that is finished and sits in a closed past period: ayer, anoche, la semana pasada, en 2020.
The endings
| Person | hablar (-ar) | comer (-er) | vivir (-ir) |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablé | comí | viví |
| tú | hablaste | comiste | viviste |
| él, ella, usted | habló | comió | vivió |
| nosotros | hablamos | comimos | vivimos |
| vosotros | hablasteis | comisteis | vivisteis |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | hablaron | comieron | vivieron |
Usted takes the same form as él and ella (usted habló), and ustedes the same as ellos (ustedes hablaron). The -er and -ir verbs share every ending, so after you learn one set you know both.
What is different from English
English has one past form for every person: "I spoke", "she spoke", "we spoke". Spanish changes the ending for each person, so hablé, hablaste and habló all mean "spoke" but not the same speaker. The subject is usually dropped because the ending shows it.
English also uses "did" for questions and negatives ("Did you speak?", "I did not speak"). Spanish has no such helper: the main verb carries the past. Say ¿Hablaste con Ana? and No hablé con Ana.
Examples
- Ayer hablé con mi madre. Yesterday I spoke with my mother.
- Anoche cenamos en casa de Marta. Last night we had dinner at Marta's place.
- Pablo comió paella el sábado pasado. Pablo ate paella last Saturday.
- ¿Compraste el pan ayer? Did you buy the bread yesterday?
- No llamé a Ana la semana pasada. I did not call Ana last week.
- Mis padres viajaron a Lima el año pasado. My parents travelled to Lima last year.
- En 2020 vivimos en Sevilla. In 2020 we lived in Seville.
- Ayer me levanté a las siete, desayuné y salí de casa. Yesterday I got up at seven, had breakfast and left the house.
- Hace dos años empecé a estudiar español. I started studying Spanish two years ago.
Written accents: hablo or habló
The accent is part of the spelling and changes the tense. Hablo (no accent) is the present, "I speak". Habló is the past, "he spoke". With -er and -ir the same happens: como is "I eat", comió is "he ate"; vivo is "I live", vivió is "he lived".
The yo form needs the accent too: hablé (past, I) against hable, a different form you will meet later, not the past. English has no written accents, so learners often leave them out; in Spanish habló without its accent is a different word. The tú, nosotros and ellos forms carry no written accent.
Nosotros: the same as the present, or not
For -ar and -ir verbs the nosotros form is identical in the present and the past: hablamos and vivimos can be either. The time marker tells you which: Ayer hablamos (past), Hablamos todos los días (present). With -er verbs the forms differ: comemos (present) and comimos (past).
Spelling changes in the yo form
To keep the sound, three endings change spelling, and only in the yo form: -car becomes -qué (busqué, toqué, practiqué), -gar becomes -gué (llegué, pagué, jugué), -zar becomes -cé (empecé, almorcé, organicé). The other persons are regular: llegó, buscó, empezó.
When to use it
Use the indefinido for a finished action in a closed past period, one that does not include now: ayer, anoche, anteayer, la semana pasada, el año pasado, en 2020, hace dos años, aquel día. It also tells a sequence of finished actions, each one after the other: Llegué, abrí la puerta y cerré la ventana. A period can be long if it is closed: Viví dos años en Lima.
One regional note. When the period includes now (hoy, esta semana, este año), Spain usually uses the pretérito perfecto, while most of Latin America keeps the indefinido. Both are standard. This page uses closed periods like ayer, where every variety agrees.
Negatives and questions
Put no before the verb: No comí en casa. For a question keep the order and add ¿...?: ¿Viviste en Madrid? After a question word the subject usually follows the verb: ¿Cuándo llegó Elena?
Check the verb and the marker
Look at two things: the person, which sets the ending, and the time word, which says past or present. If you see ayer, anoche or el año pasado, the verb is in the indefinido, so write the accent on yo and él: hablé, habló.
Common mistakes
Ayer hablo con Ana.Ayer hablé con Ana. past needs the past formAyer Pablo hablo con Ana.Ayer Pablo habló con Ana. the accent marks the pastAyer Marta comó pizza.Ayer Marta comió pizza. -er verbs take -ióAnoche comemos en casa.Anoche comimos en casa. comemos is presentLlegé tarde ayer.Llegué tarde ayer. -gar becomes -guéEmpezé a estudiar en 2020.Empecé a estudiar en 2020. -zar becomes -cé¿Hablas con Ana ayer?¿Hablaste con Ana ayer? "did you speak": the verb itself goes into the past
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between hablo and habló?
Hablo is the present, "I speak"; habló is the past, "he, she or you (usted) spoke". Only the written accent differs, so it must be written.
When do I use the pretérito indefinido?
For an action that finished in a closed past period: ayer, la semana pasada, en 2020, hace dos años. It also tells a chain of finished actions in a story.
How do I say "did you" in Spanish?
There is no word for "did". Conjugate the main verb: "Did you call Ana?" is ¿Llamaste a Ana?, and "I did not call" is No llamé.
How do I know if hablamos is present or past?
For -ar and -ir verbs the forms are the same, so use the time word: ayer hablamos is past, hablamos todos los días is present. -er verbs differ: comemos and comimos.
Which tense do I use with hoy or esta semana?
It depends on the region. Spain usually uses the pretérito perfecto, and most of Latin America the indefinido; both are correct. With ayer or el año pasado every variety uses the indefinido.
Why do llegué and busqué change spelling?
The spelling keeps the sound of the stem: llegar would give *llegé, which sounds different. So the yo form is llegué, busqué, empecé; the other persons stay regular.