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Great news: in the preterite tense, -ER and -IR verbs share exactly the same endings. This means you only need to learn one set of endings for both verb groups — making this lesson very efficient.
Remove the -er or -ir infinitive ending and add:
| Person | Ending | Example: comer (to eat) | Example: vivir (to live) |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | -í | comí | viví |
| tú | -iste | comiste | viviste |
| él / ella / usted | -ió | comió | vivió |
| nosotros / nosotras | -imos | comimos | vivimos |
| vosotros / vosotras | -isteis | comisteis | vivisteis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | -ieron | comieron | vivieron |
Notice: The endings are identical for -ER and -IR verbs. The only difference from -AR verbs is that the vowel changes: -é becomes -í, -aste becomes -iste, -ó becomes -ió, etc.
| Person | -AR ending | -ER/-IR ending |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -é | -í |
| tú | -aste | -iste |
| él/ella/usted | -ó | -ió |
| nosotros/as | -amos | -imos |
| vosotros/as | -asteis | -isteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -aron | -ieron |
Tip: The pattern is very similar. The main vowel simply shifts from a to i across most forms.
| Infinitive | Meaning |
|---|---|
| comer | to eat |
| beber | to drink |
| correr | to run |
| aprender | to learn |
| comprender | to understand |
| leer | to read |
| vender | to sell |
| creer | to believe |
| romper | to break |
| barrer | to sweep |
| meter | to put in |
| prometer | to promise |
| Infinitive | Meaning |
|---|---|
| vivir | to live |
| escribir | to write |
| abrir | to open |
| subir | to go up / to upload |
| recibir | to receive |
| decidir | to decide |
| compartir | to share |
| asistir | to attend |
| sufrir | to suffer |
| permitir | to allow |
| describir | to describe |
| existir | to exist |
| Person | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | comí | I ate |
| tú | comiste | you ate |
| él / ella / usted | comió | he/she/you (formal) ate |
| nosotros/as | comimos | we ate |
| vosotros/as | comisteis | you all ate |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | comieron | they/you all (formal) ate |
| Person | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | bebí | I drank |
| tú | bebiste | you drank |
| él / ella / usted | bebió | he/she drank |
| nosotros/as | bebimos | we drank |
| vosotros/as | bebisteis | you all drank |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | bebieron | they drank |
| Person | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | corrí | I ran |
| tú | corriste | you ran |
| él / ella / usted | corrió | he/she ran |
| nosotros/as | corrimos | we ran |
| vosotros/as | corristeis | you all ran |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | corrieron | they ran |
| Person | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | viví | I lived |
| tú | viviste | you lived |
| él / ella / usted | vivió | he/she lived |
| nosotros/as | vivimos | we lived |
| vosotros/as | vivisteis | you all lived |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | vivieron | they lived |
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