- Dino
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Preview of what's to come
Ok, two and something hours later, I'm finished with all the stuff below. I'll be doing at least a couple more major updates of this, and if people somehow find out about this and want me to keep going, I will. Other than that, I'm going to try and turn in a video of me teaching the concepts next time, which will be awesome. I don't know if my teacher knows this or not, but she's downloaded an alternative web browser that doesn't have the schools network restrictions on it, so she ought to be able to view a youtube video (which makes my job easier). See you in a month!
Double Object Pronouns
What happens if you want to have both direct and indirect object pronouns in the same sentence? The indirect object goes first.
Te los compramos. El mesero me los dio.
We bought them for you. The waiter gave them to me.
Remember that when a conjugated verb appears with an infinitive or an -ndo form, you have two choices. You can put the pronouns before the conjugated verb, or you can attach them to the infinitive or -ndo form, or an affirmative command. Either way, the sentences mean the same thing.
Me los vas a comprar. Vas a comprármelos.
You are going to buy them for me. You are going to buy them for me.
Me los estás comprando. Estás comprándomelos.
You are buying them for me. You are buying them for me.
For adding accents, count back three nouns on infinitives and four on progressives.
There is a special rule for verbs with two pronouns when both are third person. Change the indirect object pronoun to se.
Le pedí una servilleta al meser.
I asked the waiter for a napkin.
Se la pedí.
I asked him for it.
When you are in the city, you could take a stroll (dar una vuelta).
Podemos tambíen dar una vuelta por la ciudad.
We can also take a stroll around the city.
The verb ofrecer to offer is often used with an indirect object pronoun.
Le ofrecieron un trabajo.
They offered him a job.
Te los compramos. El mesero me los dio.
We bought them for you. The waiter gave them to me.
Remember that when a conjugated verb appears with an infinitive or an -ndo form, you have two choices. You can put the pronouns before the conjugated verb, or you can attach them to the infinitive or -ndo form, or an affirmative command. Either way, the sentences mean the same thing.
Me los vas a comprar. Vas a comprármelos.
You are going to buy them for me. You are going to buy them for me.
Me los estás comprando. Estás comprándomelos.
You are buying them for me. You are buying them for me.
For adding accents, count back three nouns on infinitives and four on progressives.
There is a special rule for verbs with two pronouns when both are third person. Change the indirect object pronoun to se.
Le pedí una servilleta al meser.
I asked the waiter for a napkin.
Se la pedí.
I asked him for it.
When you are in the city, you could take a stroll (dar una vuelta).
Podemos tambíen dar una vuelta por la ciudad.
We can also take a stroll around the city.
The verb ofrecer to offer is often used with an indirect object pronoun.
Le ofrecieron un trabajo.
They offered him a job.
Indirect Object Pronouns
Remember that you use indirect object poronouns to replace or accompany indirect object nouns.
Les compró regalos a sus amigos. becomes Les compró regalos.
She bought presents for her friends. She bought presents for them.
If there's an indirect object, there's usually a direct object.
Indirect objects answer the question to whom or for whom.
Indirect Object Pronouns:
me nos
te
le les
Like direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns are usually placed before conjugated verbs, and may be attached to infinitives and -ndo forms, as well as affirmative commands.
El mesero dio la cuenta a Laura. El mesero le dio la cuenta.
The waiter gave Laura the bill. The waiter gave her the bill.
El mesero va a darle la cuenta.
The waiter is going to give her the bill.
El mesero está dándole la cuenta.
The waiter is giving her the bill.
Remember that with gustar, the subject (the thing liked) follows the verb, and the indirect object (me, te, le, nos, les) comes before the verb.
Me gusta el pescado, pero no me gustan las salchichas.
I like fish, but I don't like hot dogs.
Note that you use gusta with singular nouns like pescado and gustan with plural nouns like salchichas. Other verbs that follow the same rule are listed in the vocabulary box.
Other verbs like gustar:
encantar: to delight
faltar: to lack
fascinar: to fascinate, to love (sports, food, etc.)
importar: to be important to, to matter
interesar: to interest
molestar: to bother
Les compró regalos a sus amigos. becomes Les compró regalos.
She bought presents for her friends. She bought presents for them.
If there's an indirect object, there's usually a direct object.
Indirect objects answer the question to whom or for whom.
Indirect Object Pronouns:
me nos
te
le les
Like direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns are usually placed before conjugated verbs, and may be attached to infinitives and -ndo forms, as well as affirmative commands.
El mesero dio la cuenta a Laura. El mesero le dio la cuenta.
The waiter gave Laura the bill. The waiter gave her the bill.
El mesero va a darle la cuenta.
The waiter is going to give her the bill.
El mesero está dándole la cuenta.
The waiter is giving her the bill.
Remember that with gustar, the subject (the thing liked) follows the verb, and the indirect object (me, te, le, nos, les) comes before the verb.
Me gusta el pescado, pero no me gustan las salchichas.
I like fish, but I don't like hot dogs.
Note that you use gusta with singular nouns like pescado and gustan with plural nouns like salchichas. Other verbs that follow the same rule are listed in the vocabulary box.
Other verbs like gustar:
encantar: to delight
faltar: to lack
fascinar: to fascinate, to love (sports, food, etc.)
importar: to be important to, to matter
interesar: to interest
molestar: to bother
Direct Object Pronouns
Remember that you use direct object pronouns when you don't want to keep repeating the direct object nouns.
Comemos tamales. becomes Los comemos.
We eat tomales. We eat them.
Llamamos al mesero. becomes Lo llamamos.
We called the waiter. We called him.
Note that the direct object mesero is a person, so it takes a personal a.
Also, not that a direct object answers the question what or who.
Direct Object Pronouns
me nos
te
lo/la los/las
Direct object pronouns are usually placed before conjugated verbs. They may also follow infinitives and -ndo forms, as well as affirmative commands.
When you put the pronoun after the infinitive or -ndo form, it attaches to the verb, like:
Lo vamos a llamar. becomes Vamos a llamarlo.
We're going to call him.
La mesera puso la mesa. becomes La puso.
The waitress set the table. She set it.
Comemos tamales. becomes Los comemos.
We eat tomales. We eat them.
Llamamos al mesero. becomes Lo llamamos.
We called the waiter. We called him.
Note that the direct object mesero is a person, so it takes a personal a.
Also, not that a direct object answers the question what or who.
Direct Object Pronouns
me nos
te
lo/la los/las
Direct object pronouns are usually placed before conjugated verbs. They may also follow infinitives and -ndo forms, as well as affirmative commands.
When you put the pronoun after the infinitive or -ndo form, it attaches to the verb, like:
Lo vamos a llamar. becomes Vamos a llamarlo.
We're going to call him.
La mesera puso la mesa. becomes La puso.
The waitress set the table. She set it.
Using the Preterite and the Imperfect
This is a bit of a review (again), about the use of the preterite and the imperfect. Particularly on when to use one vs. another.
The preterite tells you about an action that started and ended at a definite time.
The imperfect tells about past actions without saying when they begin or end.
You can use both tenses to talk about something that happened (preterite) while something else was going on (imperfect).
Nos enamoramos. Éramos jóvenes.
We fell in love. We were young.
Nos enamoramos cuando éramos jóvenes.
We fell in love when we were young.
Note. Ordinals are placed before nouns and agree with the nouns in gender and number.
el quinto semana la segunda semana
Primero and tercero drop the o before a masculine singular noun.
el primer día
The preterite tells you about an action that started and ended at a definite time.
- Ocurrió un temblor. (An earthquake took place.)
- El temblor ocurrió a las 7:19 de la mañana. (The earthquake took place at 7:19 in the morning.)
- Muchos edificios se cayeron. (Many buildings fell down.)
The imperfect tells about past actions without saying when they begin or end.
- Todo el mundo dormía. (Everybody was sleeping.)
- La tierra temblaba. (The earth was shaking.)
- Había gente por todas partes. (There were people everywhere.)
You can use both tenses to talk about something that happened (preterite) while something else was going on (imperfect).
Nos enamoramos. Éramos jóvenes.
We fell in love. We were young.
Nos enamoramos cuando éramos jóvenes.
We fell in love when we were young.
Note. Ordinals are placed before nouns and agree with the nouns in gender and number.
el quinto semana la segunda semana
Primero and tercero drop the o before a masculine singular noun.
el primer día
Finally, we back to the PRESENT!
First, just make a note that to talk about a surprise, use the noun la sorpresa and the verb sorprender.
Now, Progressive Tenses of Verbs:
Remember that you form the present progressive by using the present tense of estar + -ando, -iendo/-yendo forms.
To make these forms, drop the ending of the infinitive and add -ando or -iendo/-yendo.
hablar becomes hablando
comer becomes comiendo
escribir becomes escribiendo
leer becomes leyendo
When verbs have to vowels right before the end, like leer, creer, and oír, change the i to a y in -iendo.
When the stem of an -er or -ir verb ends in a vowel, there is a spelling change in the ending.
Also, remember that some -ir stem-changing verbs have a stem vowel change.
pedir --- pidiendo
dormir --- durmiendo
The progressive can also be used to talk about a past action. To form the past progressive, use:
the imperfect tense of estar + -ando, - iendo/-yendo forms.
The only time that you use the progressive tense is when an action is actually going on, or was actually going on at the time. Think of it as an -ing verb in english.
Present:
Isabel está hablando con don Miguel.
Isabel is talking with Don Miguel.
Past Progressive
Isabel estaba escribiendo un artículo sobre el temblor.
Isabel was writing an article about the earthquake.
Now, Progressive Tenses of Verbs:
Remember that you form the present progressive by using the present tense of estar + -ando, -iendo/-yendo forms.
To make these forms, drop the ending of the infinitive and add -ando or -iendo/-yendo.
hablar becomes hablando
comer becomes comiendo
escribir becomes escribiendo
leer becomes leyendo
When verbs have to vowels right before the end, like leer, creer, and oír, change the i to a y in -iendo.
When the stem of an -er or -ir verb ends in a vowel, there is a spelling change in the ending.
Also, remember that some -ir stem-changing verbs have a stem vowel change.
pedir --- pidiendo
dormir --- durmiendo
The progressive can also be used to talk about a past action. To form the past progressive, use:
the imperfect tense of estar + -ando, - iendo/-yendo forms.
The only time that you use the progressive tense is when an action is actually going on, or was actually going on at the time. Think of it as an -ing verb in english.
Present:
Isabel está hablando con don Miguel.
Isabel is talking with Don Miguel.
Past Progressive
Isabel estaba escribiendo un artículo sobre el temblor.
Isabel was writing an article about the earthquake.
Psych!
That's right, I fooled you! I'm also reincorporating all of my Unidad 2 Etapa 1 stuff. Sooooo....
Possessive adjectives also have a long form. It is more expressive. You use it, for example, when talking of a special friend. The charts are:
Yo: mío(a/os/as)
Tú: tuyo(a/os/as)
Usted/Ustedes: suyo(a/os/as)
Nosotros: Nuestro(a/os/as)
*Note: in a sentence, these always come after the noun they describe. For example: Comemos con unos amigos nuestros.
We are eating with some friends of ours.
Possessive pronousns also show personal relationships. To form a possessive pronoun;
1. Use the long form of the possessive adjective.
2. Add el, la, los, las according to the gender and number of the noun it replaces.
-Sus viajes son a diferentes lugares.
His trips are to different places.
-Y los tuyos, ¿adónde son?
And yours, where are they to?
Vocabulary Break!
Familia, amigos, amigas:
la amistad: friendship, acquaintance
el (la) compañero: classmate, companion
el (la) cuñado(a): brother-in-law, sister-in-law
los (las) gemelos(as): twins
el (la) hermanastro(a): stepbrother, stepsister
la madrastra: stepmother
el (la) novio(a): boyfriend, girlfriend; groom, bride
el padrastro: stepfather
el (la) sobrino(a): nephew, niece
Talking about the Past Using the Imperfect
The preterite tense speaks about a completed action in the past. Now you'll find out about another past tense, called the imperfect.
You can use the imperfect in the following ways:
-ar -er -ir
cantar tener salir
Yo: cantaba tenía salía
Tú: cantabas tenías salías
Usted: cantaba tenía salía
Nosotros: cantábamos teníamos salíamos
Ustedes: cantaban tenían salían
The following example uses imperfect because it describes continuing actions in the past.
Don Miguel tragajaba en el banco todos los días.
Don Miguel worked in the bank every day.
The only verbs that don't follow the pattern are:
ser ir ver
Yo: era iba veía
Tú: eras ibas veías
Usted: era iba veía
Nosotros: éramos íbamos veíamos
Usteded: eran iban veían
Vocabulary note:
You can use dentro de (inside) and fuera de (outside) just as you do in English.
Yo estoy dentro de mi cuarto. I am inside my room.
You can use the imperfect in the following ways:
- to speak about background events in a story
- to talk about something you used to do as a matter of habit
- to speak about how old someone was
- to say what time is was
-ar -er -ir
cantar tener salir
Yo: cantaba tenía salía
Tú: cantabas tenías salías
Usted: cantaba tenía salía
Nosotros: cantábamos teníamos salíamos
Ustedes: cantaban tenían salían
The following example uses imperfect because it describes continuing actions in the past.
Don Miguel tragajaba en el banco todos los días.
Don Miguel worked in the bank every day.
The only verbs that don't follow the pattern are:
ser ir ver
Yo: era iba veía
Tú: eras ibas veías
Usted: era iba veía
Nosotros: éramos íbamos veíamos
Usteded: eran iban veían
Vocabulary note:
You can use dentro de (inside) and fuera de (outside) just as you do in English.
Yo estoy dentro de mi cuarto. I am inside my room.
Reflexive Pronouns and Verbs
You canuse direct object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, nos, los, las) with verbs. For example, if a girl is hiding a doll behind a tree, she would say:
La escondo.
I'm hiding it. *Note that the subject yo and the direct object la are different, because yo is universal, and la refers to the doll, or muñeca.
Reflexive verbs take a special pronoun called a reflexive pronoun. While the usual direct object is different from the subject, a reflexive pronoun is the same person, place, or thing as the subject.
Me escondo.
I'm hiding (myself). *Note that the subject (yo) and the direct object (me) are the same person; you call this object reflexive.
Reflexive pronouns
Yo: me escondo
Tú: te escondes
Usted: se esconde
Nosotros: nos escondemos
Ustedes: es esconden
A verb reflexively tells you that only the subject of the verb is involved in the action. When using a reflexive verb in the infinitive form, attach the pronoun to the infinitive.
Vamos a pelearnos por el cuaderno.
We are going to fight over the notebook.
Vocabulary Break!
Reflexive Verbs:
aburrirse: to get bored
asustarse de: to be scared of
caerse: to fall down
cansarse: to get tired
darse cuenta de: to realize
despedirse (e-i, i) de: to say goodbye to
disculparse: to apologize
divertirse (e-ie, i): to enjoy oneself
enojarse con: to get angry with
portarse bien/mal: to behave well/badly
preocuparse por: to be worried about
reunirse: to get together
sentirse (e-ie,i): to feel
La escondo.
I'm hiding it. *Note that the subject yo and the direct object la are different, because yo is universal, and la refers to the doll, or muñeca.
Reflexive verbs take a special pronoun called a reflexive pronoun. While the usual direct object is different from the subject, a reflexive pronoun is the same person, place, or thing as the subject.
Me escondo.
I'm hiding (myself). *Note that the subject (yo) and the direct object (me) are the same person; you call this object reflexive.
Reflexive pronouns
Yo: me escondo
Tú: te escondes
Usted: se esconde
Nosotros: nos escondemos
Ustedes: es esconden
A verb reflexively tells you that only the subject of the verb is involved in the action. When using a reflexive verb in the infinitive form, attach the pronoun to the infinitive.
Vamos a pelearnos por el cuaderno.
We are going to fight over the notebook.
Vocabulary Break!
Reflexive Verbs:
aburrirse: to get bored
asustarse de: to be scared of
caerse: to fall down
cansarse: to get tired
darse cuenta de: to realize
despedirse (e-i, i) de: to say goodbye to
disculparse: to apologize
divertirse (e-ie, i): to enjoy oneself
enojarse con: to get angry with
portarse bien/mal: to behave well/badly
preocuparse por: to be worried about
reunirse: to get together
sentirse (e-ie,i): to feel
Possessive adjectives and Pronouns
Possessive adjectives show personal relationships or possession. All possessive adjectives - including mi(s), tu(s), su(s), and nuestro(a/os/as) - agree in gender and number with the nouns the describe. Let me say that again: agree in gender and number with the nouns the describe.Possessive adjectives also have a long form. It is more expressive. You use it, for example, when talking of a special friend. The charts are:
Yo: mío(a/os/as)
Tú: tuyo(a/os/as)
Usted/Ustedes: suyo(a/os/as)
Nosotros: Nuestro(a/os/as)
*Note: in a sentence, these always come after the noun they describe. For example: Comemos con unos amigos nuestros.
We are eating with some friends of ours.
Possessive pronousns also show personal relationships. To form a possessive pronoun;
1. Use the long form of the possessive adjective.
2. Add el, la, los, las according to the gender and number of the noun it replaces.
-Sus viajes son a diferentes lugares.
His trips are to different places.
-Y los tuyos, ¿adónde son?
And yours, where are they to?
Vocabulary Break!
Familia, amigos, amigas:
la amistad: friendship, acquaintance
el (la) compañero: classmate, companion
el (la) cuñado(a): brother-in-law, sister-in-law
los (las) gemelos(as): twins
el (la) hermanastro(a): stepbrother, stepsister
la madrastra: stepmother
el (la) novio(a): boyfriend, girlfriend; groom, bride
el padrastro: stepfather
el (la) sobrino(a): nephew, niece
Review
Alright everyone, I'm back. I've got some more stuff to post, and this one's a doozy. But First, I'm going to reincorporate everything that I've done so far on the preterite and imperfect. It's really important that all of you get this, it is the key for speaking about this past. So, without further adieu,
In the preterite, verbs that end in -car, -gar, an -zar are spelled differently in the "yo" form. The spelling changes are done to keep the pronunciation the same.
For instance: Sacar
Tú Yo
Sacaste *note that it keeps the c Saqué *note how it changes, keeping the pronunciation
¿Sacaste fotos del aeropuerto? Sí, saqué fotos del aero puerto
Did you take photos of the airport? Yes, I took photos of the airport.
Jugar - to play
Jugaste Jugué
*again, it changes in the yo, keeping the pronunciation the same, from g to gu
¿Con quién jugaste al fútbol? Jugué con mi primo.
With whom did you play soccer? I played with my cousin.
Almorzar - to eat lunch
almorzaste Almorcé
¿Dónde almorzaste ayer? Almorcé con mi familia en Griffith Park.
Where did you eat lunch yesterday? I ate lunch with my family in Griffith Park.
*and, again, it changes to keep the pronunciation, from z to c
Vocabulary Break
Verbs with -car, -gar, -zar spelling changes
c to qu explicar - to explain
expliqué
z to c comenzar - to start
comencé
Ya sabes
c to qu
buscar - to look for
practicar - to practice
tocar - to touch, to play (a musical instrument)
g to gu
llegar - to arrive
pagar - to pay
z to c
empezar (e to ie) - to begin
Preterite Verbs, Regular
The preterite tense talks about the past, what you did or what happened. It has a definite end though, and has been completed. They are modified by tense endings, with -ar verbs having their method, and -er/-ir verves having theirs.I am not including a vosotros form here, due to the fact that my teacher doesn't use it.
For -ar Verbs
Hablar
Yo --- Hablé
Tú --- Hablaste
Usted/él/ella --- Habló
Nosotros --- Hablamos
*Note that Nosotros is the only form that doesn't change from a non-preterite verb!*
Ustedes/ellos/ellas --- Hablaron
For -er/-ir
Comer/Vivir
Yo --- Comí/Viví
Tú --- Comiste/Viviste
Usted/él/ella --- Comió/Vivió
Nosotros --- Comimos/Vivimos
*Note that Nosotros is the only form that doesn't change from a non-preterite verb!*
Ustedes/ellos/ellas --- Comieron/Vivieron
For the nosotros forms of the above words, you must use context to determine whether they are present or preterite tense.
Irregular Preterites - Part 1
Hello all, as you can see, I've been gone for a while... no comment.In the preterite, verbs that end in -car, -gar, an -zar are spelled differently in the "yo" form. The spelling changes are done to keep the pronunciation the same.
For instance: Sacar
Tú Yo
Sacaste *note that it keeps the c Saqué *note how it changes, keeping the pronunciation
¿Sacaste fotos del aeropuerto? Sí, saqué fotos del aero puerto
Did you take photos of the airport? Yes, I took photos of the airport.
The change takes place, going from c to qu
Jugar - to play
Jugaste Jugué
*again, it changes in the yo, keeping the pronunciation the same, from g to gu
¿Con quién jugaste al fútbol? Jugué con mi primo.
With whom did you play soccer? I played with my cousin.
Almorzar - to eat lunch
almorzaste Almorcé
¿Dónde almorzaste ayer? Almorcé con mi familia en Griffith Park.
Where did you eat lunch yesterday? I ate lunch with my family in Griffith Park.
*and, again, it changes to keep the pronunciation, from z to c
Vocabulary Break
Verbs with -car, -gar, -zar spelling changes
c to qu explicar - to explain
expliqué
z to c comenzar - to start
comencé
Ya sabes
c to qu
buscar - to look for
practicar - to practice
tocar - to touch, to play (a musical instrument)
g to gu
llegar - to arrive
pagar - to pay
z to c
empezar (e to ie) - to begin
regular Preterites - Part 2
The verbs ir, ser, and hacer, which are all frequently used, are irregular in the preterite.
*Note that ir and ser have the same forms of irregular verbs, you have to use your context to determine which verb it is
ir ser hacer
yo fui fui hice
tú fuiste fuiste hiciste
usted fue fue hizo
*Note that hacer has a unique usted preterite, with the z. This is something you have to memorize
nosotros fuimos fuimos hicimos
ustedes fueron fueron hicieron
The verbs dar and ver take a regular -er/-ir past tense endings, but have no written accent marks
dar/ver
yo di/vi
tú diste/viste
usted dio/vio
nosotros dimos/vimos
ustedes dieron/vieron
*Note that all of these preterites have no accents, don't make it overly complicated
andar...anduv-
estar...estuv-
poder...pud-
poner...pus-
querer...quis-
saber...sup-
tener...tuv-
venir...vin-
The above preterites also have the following irregular preterite ending:
yo...-e
tú...-iste
usted...-o
nosotros...-imos
ustedes...ieron
*Note that there are no accents anywhere, don't make it over complicated.
Verbs that have irregular stems in the preterite that end in j hjave the same endings as the verbs above but drop the i from the ustedes ending.
decir...dijeron
traer...trajeron.
*Note that this doesn't affect the other endings. It's dije, not die.
e to i
pedir
pedí..........pedimos
pediste
pidió.........pidieron.
o to u
dormir
dormí..........dormimos
dormiste
durmió........durmieron
Verbs such as leer (to read), creer (to believe), and oír (to hear) change the i to y in the usted and ustedes forms of the preterite.
Alma leyó el poema. Alma read the poem.
Mis hermanos no creyeron las noticias. My brothers didn't believe the news.
¿Leiste la crítica? Did you read the review?
You can use the imperfect in the following ways:
-ar -er -ir
cantar tener salir
Yo: cantaba tenía salía
Tú: cantabas tenías salías
Usted: cantaba tenía salía
Nosotros: cantábamos teníamos salíamos
Ustedes: cantaban tenían salían
The following example uses imperfect because it describes continuing actions in the past.
Don Miguel tragajaba en el banco todos los días.
Don Miguel worked in the bank every day.
The only verbs that don't follow the pattern are:
ser ir ver
Yo: era iba veía
Tú: eras ibas veías
Usted: era iba veía
Nosotros: éramos íbamos veíamos
Usteded: eran iban veían
Vocabulary note:
You can use dentro de (inside) and fuera de (outside) just as you do in English.
Yo estoy dentro de mi cuarto. I am inside my room.
Whew! Now, on to the new stuff.
*Note that ir and ser have the same forms of irregular verbs, you have to use your context to determine which verb it is
ir ser hacer
yo fui fui hice
tú fuiste fuiste hiciste
usted fue fue hizo
*Note that hacer has a unique usted preterite, with the z. This is something you have to memorize
nosotros fuimos fuimos hicimos
ustedes fueron fueron hicieron
The verbs dar and ver take a regular -er/-ir past tense endings, but have no written accent marks
dar/ver
yo di/vi
tú diste/viste
usted dio/vio
nosotros dimos/vimos
ustedes dieron/vieron
*Note that all of these preterites have no accents, don't make it overly complicated
Irregular Preterites - Part 3
Like the verb hacer, the following verbs have irregular stems in the preterite.andar...anduv-
estar...estuv-
poder...pud-
poner...pus-
querer...quis-
saber...sup-
tener...tuv-
venir...vin-
The above preterites also have the following irregular preterite ending:
yo...-e
tú...-iste
usted...-o
nosotros...-imos
ustedes...ieron
*Note that there are no accents anywhere, don't make it over complicated.
Verbs that have irregular stems in the preterite that end in j hjave the same endings as the verbs above but drop the i from the ustedes ending.
decir...dijeron
traer...trajeron.
*Note that this doesn't affect the other endings. It's dije, not die.
Stem-Changing Verbs in the Preterite
Stem-changing -ir verbs change vowels in the preterite too. However, the change only occurs in the usted and ustedes forms.e to i
pedir
pedí..........pedimos
pediste
pidió.........pidieron.
o to u
dormir
dormí..........dormimos
dormiste
durmió........durmieron
Verbs such as leer (to read), creer (to believe), and oír (to hear) change the i to y in the usted and ustedes forms of the preterite.
Alma leyó el poema. Alma read the poem.
Mis hermanos no creyeron las noticias. My brothers didn't believe the news.
¿Leiste la crítica? Did you read the review?
Talking about the Past Using the Imperfect
The preterite tense speaks about a completed action in the past. Now you'll find out about another past tense, called the imperfect.You can use the imperfect in the following ways:
- to speak about background events in a story
- to talk about something you used to do as a matter of habit
- to speak about how old someone was
- to say what time is was
-ar -er -ir
cantar tener salir
Yo: cantaba tenía salía
Tú: cantabas tenías salías
Usted: cantaba tenía salía
Nosotros: cantábamos teníamos salíamos
Ustedes: cantaban tenían salían
The following example uses imperfect because it describes continuing actions in the past.
Don Miguel tragajaba en el banco todos los días.
Don Miguel worked in the bank every day.
The only verbs that don't follow the pattern are:
ser ir ver
Yo: era iba veía
Tú: eras ibas veías
Usted: era iba veía
Nosotros: éramos íbamos veíamos
Usteded: eran iban veían
Vocabulary note:
You can use dentro de (inside) and fuera de (outside) just as you do in English.
Yo estoy dentro de mi cuarto. I am inside my room.
Whew! Now, on to the new stuff.
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