tener in the Preterite

Tuve un examen. (I had an exam.)

IR and SER: Identical Twins

Ir (to go) and ser (to be) share the same preterite. Context tells you the meaning.

The U-Stem Group

These common verbs take a stem with u, then add the irregular endings.

No accents: tuve, not tuvé; tuvo, not tuvó.

U-Stem Examples

• Estuve enfermo la semana pasada. (I was sick last week.)
• Pudiste venir a la fiesta? (Were you able to come to the party?)
• Pusimos la mesa antes de cenar. (We set the table before dinner.)
• Tuvieron muchos problemas. (They had many problems.)

The I-Stem Group

These verbs take a stem with i.

Hacer has a spelling change: hizo (c becomes z before o).

I-Stem Examples

• Hice los deberes anoche. (I did my homework last night.)
• Que hiciste el fin de semana? (What did you do at the weekend?)
• Mis amigos vinieron a mi casa. (My friends came to my house.)
• Quiso ayudarnos con el trabajo. (He/She wanted to help us with the work.)

Dar, Ver and Decir

Three more high-frequency irregulars with short forms.

More Examples

• Le di el libro a Maria. (I gave the book to Maria.)
• Vi una pelicula muy buena. (I saw a very good film.)
• Me dijo la verdad. (He/She told me the truth.)
• Nos dieron las llaves ayer. (They gave us the keys yesterday.)

Time Markers for the Past

Use these expressions to signal the preterite.

El ano pasado estuve en Italia. (Last year I was in Italy.)

Common Mistakes

English speakers often overuse the imperfect or add incorrect accents.

Practice: Conjugate

Write the correct preterite form.

1. Yo _______ (tener) mucha suerte.
2. Ellos _______ (ir) a la playa.
3. Tu _______ (hacer) la cama?
4. Nosotros _______ (ver) la noticia.
5. Ella _______ (decir) la respuesta.

Answers: tuve, fueron, hiciste, vimos, dijo

Practice: Make it Past

Change the sentence into the preterite.

1. Voy al mercado. -> Ayer _______ al mercado.
2. Tienes un examen. -> El martes _______ un examen.
3. Vemos una pelicula. -> Anoche _______ una pelicula.
4. Dice la verdad. -> Ayer me _______ la verdad.

Answers: fui, tuviste, vimos, dijo

Practice: Ask and Answer

Use these questions with a partner. Answer in complete sentences.

1. Que hiciste el fin de semana pasado?
2. Adonde fuiste el mes pasado?
3. Tuviste una buena semana?
4. Que viste en television anoche?

Try to use a different time marker in each answer.

Key Takeaways

• Irregular endings: -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron (no accents)
• ir and ser share the preterite: fui, fuiste, fue...
• U-stems: tuv-, estuv-, pud-, pus-
• I-stems: hic- (hizo!), quis-, vin-
• Short irregulars: dar (di, dio), ver (vi, vio), decir (dije, dijeron)
• Add time markers to situate actions in the past

Wrap-Up

Today we learned to talk about completed past actions using irregular preterite verbs.

Gracias por participar.

Homework

Practice

• Past Tense Irregular