Ser (to be) and ir (to go) - Both have same preterite form
| fui |
| fuiste |
| fue |
| fuimos |
| fuisteis |
| fueron |
Dar (to give) and ver (to see, watch)
| dar (to give) | ver (to see/watch) |
| di | vi |
| diste | viste |
| dio | vio |
| dimos | vimos |
| disteis | visteis |
| dieron | vieron |
Verbs that add a "y" in the third person
| caer | leer | oír | huir |
| (to fall) | (to read) | (to hear) | (to run away) |
| caí | leí | oí | huí |
| caíste | leíste | oíste | huiste |
| cayó | leyó | oyó | huyó |
| caímos | leímos | oímos | huimos |
| caísteis | leísteis | oísteis | huisteis |
| cayeron | leyeron | oyeron | huyeron |
Other similar verbs which add a "y"
proveer (to provide)
poseer (to possess)
destruir (to destroy)
construir (to build)
distribuir (to distribute)
contribuir (to contribute)
Verbs that change their stem (-uve)
| estar | andar | tener | contener |
| (to be) | (to walk) | (to have) | (to contain) |
| estuve | anduve | tuve | contuve |
| estuviste | anduviste | tuviste | contuviste |
| estuvo | anduvo | tuvo | contuvo |
| estuvimos | anduvimos | tuvimos | contuvimos |
| estuvisteis | anduvisteis | tuvisteis | contuvisteis |
| estuvieron | anduvieron | tuvieron | contuvieron |
Other common verbs the group that change their stem (uve)
retener (to retain)
mantener (to maintain)
detener (to detain)
sostener (to sustain, support)
obtener (to obtain)
Verbs that change their stem (-ice/-ise/-ine/-ije)
| hacer | venir | querer | decir |
| (to do/make) | (to come) | (to want) | (to say) |
| hice | vine | quise | dije |
| hiciste | viniste | quisiste | dijiste |
| hizo | vino | quiso | dijo |
| hicimos | vinimos | quisimos | dijimos |
| hicisteis | vinisteis | quisisteis | dijisteis |
| hicieron | vinieron | quisieron | dijeron (no "i") |
Verbs that have "j" in the stem but no "i" in 3rd person plural
| traer | producir |
| (to bring) | (to produce) |
| traje | produje |
| trajiste | produjiste |
| trajo | produjo |
| trajimos | produjimos |
| trajisteis | produjisteis |
| trajeron | produjeron |
Other common verbs that have "j" in the stem but no "i" in 3rd person plural
distraer (to distract, amuse)
atraer (to attract)
contraer (to contract)
reducir (to reduce)
conducir (to drive)
traducir (to translate)
Verbs that change to "u" in their stem
| poner | saber | poder | caber |
| (to put) | (to know) | (to be able to) | (to fit) |
| puse | supe | pude | cupe |
| pusiste | supiste | pudiste | cupiste |
| puso | supo | pudo | cupo |
| pusimos | supimos | pudimos | cupimos |
| pusisteis | supisteis | pudisteis | cupisteis |
| pusieron | supieron | pudieron | cupieron |
Other common verbs that change to "u" in their stem
ponerse (to put on, become)
oponer (to oppose)
suponer (to suppose)
componer (to compose)
haber - hubo (there was/were)
Verbs where one person is irregular
pagar - pagué (I paid)
jugar - jugué (I played)
llegar - llegué (I arrived)
sacar - saqué (I took out)
picar - piqué (I stung, pricked)
cruzar - crucé (I crossed)
empezar - empecé (I begun)
rezar - recé (I prayed)
averiguar - averigüé (I investigated)
grunir - gruñó (He grumbled)
Practice: Preterite Irregular Verbs
