Preterite tense of regular -ar verbs  



Gramática - Rápida
Let's consider the preterite tense of a regular "ar" verb.
To determine the correct forms of a verb, we start with its infinitive form.
The infinitive form of the verb meaning (to speak) is hablar.

Now we take off the -ar ending:
hablar - ar = habl

Now we add on one of the preterite tense endings: é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron

habl + (ending) --> hablé, hablaste, habló, hablamos, hablasteis, hablaron

The different forms of the verb hablar are shown in the table.

Preterite forms of the verb hablar (to speak)

yo hablé (I spoke) nosotros (as) hablamos (we spoke)
tú hablaste (you spoke) vosotros (as) hablasteis (you guys spoke)
Ud./él/ella habló (you/he/she spoke) Uds./ellos/ ellas hablaron (you all/they spoke)

Other regular -ar verbs
Many other -ar verbs follow the same pattern.
Some common -ar verbs are listed below:

bailar - to dance
buscar - to look for
cantar - to sing
comprar - to buy
desear - to desire
enseñar - to teach
estudiar - to study
necesitar - to need
pagar - to pay
practicar - to practice
regresar - to return
tomar - to take, drink
trabajar - to work
viajar - to travel

Sentences with hablar
Todos hablaron a la vez. - All spoke at the same time.
Hablaron con la candidata hasta que se fue. - They talked with the candidate until she left.
Nosotros hablamos con Rosa ayer. - We talked to Rosa yesterday.
Ella habló con Juan. - She talked to Juan.
Los testigos hablaron con el abogado ayer. - The witnesses (los testigos) spoke with the lawyer yesterday.
Los señores hablaron con el abogado ayer. - The gentlemen spoke with the lawyer yesterday.
Yo creo que los señores hablaron con el abogado ayer. - I think that the gentlemen spoke with the lawyer yesterday.
¿ A qué hora hablaron los señores con el abogado hoy? - What time did the gentlemen speak with the lawyer today?
¿Sabes si los señores hablaron con el abogado hoy? - Do you know if the gentlemen spoke with the lawyer today?
Ellas hablaron con Elena hoy. - They talked to Elena today.

Sentences with trabajar
Trabajé durante un año en una escuela secundaria. - I worked at a high school for one year.
Yo trabajé en la oficina ayer. - I worked in the office yesterday.
¿Trabajaste en la oficina ayer? - Did you work in the office yesterday?
Él trabajó toda la noche. - He worked all night long.
María trabajó en la oficina ayer. - Mary worked in the office yesterday.
Él trabajó en vano. - He worked in vain.
Nosotros trabajamos para una empresa privada el año pasado. - We worked for a private company last year.
Trabajamos en diferentes oficinas el año pasado. - We worked in different offices last year.
Ellas trabajaron en la oficina. - They worked in the office.
Nosotros trabajamos en la oficina ayer. - We worked in the office yesterday.
Los empleados trabajaron en la oficina ayer. - The employees worked in the office yesterday.

Sentences with estudiar

Yo estudié la lección. - I studied the lesson (la lección).
Yo estudié anoche. - I studied last night.
¿Estudiaste la lección? - Did you study the lesson?
¿Estudiaste toda la mañana el sábado? - Did you study all morning last Saturday?
Juan estudió la lección. - John studied the lesson.
Mi hijo estudió inglés el año pasado. - My son studied English last year.
Nosotros estudiamos la lección. - We studied the lesson.
Ellos estudiaron la unidad uno. - They studied unit one.
Ella estudió con Juan. - She studied with Juan.
Estudiaste mucho la semana pasada. - You studied a lot last week.

Notes for the Tutor

  • The student should repeat these simple sentences to practice vocabulary and improve pronunciation.
  • The tutor and student should make a simple conversation using the verbs presented here.
  • Suggested Homework: The student should make 10 sentences using the verbs presented here to begin memorizing the conjugations and to practice using the preterite.

Use these free Spanish conjugation charts and guides.



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