Before exploring irregular verb groups in Spanish, let’s look at some peculiarities and verbs that do not follow the usual pattern.

It is important to note that while some verbs are irregular in the present tense, they might be regular in the past tense, and vice versa. Although this might seem confusing, remembering these exceptions is key.

Let’s begin with two of the most important verbs in Spanish: “ser” and “estar” (to be) that happen to be irregular.

Interestingly, “ser” (to be) and “ir” (to go) have identical conjugations in the past tense. However, do not worry about getting confused. The context often provides clarity. 

Ser  / Ir

The meaning is clarified within the context, and prepositions such as “en” (in, on, at) for indicating location and “a” (to) for indicating direction help in expressing specific meanings, as in the following examples:

Now take a look at the verb “irse” (to leave, to go). As you can see, it is like the reflexive version of “ir”.

Exercises / Ejercicios

“Dar” (to give)

A slightly different situation occurs with the verb “dar” (to give), as it is irregular and does not belong to any specific group or share patterns with other irregular verbs. Interestingly, it is conjugated like the verb “ver” (to see) in the past tense:

Always remember: learning verbs by group makes the process easier. 

Reflexive verbs 

Reflexive verbs follow the same structure. We categorize them based on whether they end in -ar, -er, or -ir. Again, verbs such as “despertarse” (to wake up), which are irregular in the present tense, become regular in the past tense.

“Acostarse” (to go to bed, to lay down) and “moverse” (to move)

are other reflexive verbs that are irregular in the present tense but regular in the past tense.

“Gustar” (to like)

As you might recall, the way we use “gustar” (to like) in Spanish is simply different. In Spanish, we do not “like” things. Rather, a thing “is liked” or things “are liked” by us. It is important to understand that this usage of the verb remains the same in the past tense. The verb only has singular (“gustó”) and plural (“gustaron”) forms for all subjects.

Irregular Third-Person Group

In this group of irregular verbs, only the third person, both singular and plural (él / ella / usted – ellos / ellas), shows irregular conjugations. Additionally,“ustedes” (you plural) is affected by this, as it always shares the same conjugation with “ellos / ellas” (they). There are three subcategories within this group.

“ir” verbs where an “e” is followed by a consonant. In these verbs, the “e” changes to an “i”, as seen in the verb “pedir” (to ask for).

Other verbs in this group: corregir (to correct), despedirse (to say goodbye), divertirse (to have fun), mentir (to lie), preferir (to prefer), reírse (to laugh), repetir (to repeat), seguir (to follow), sentir (to feel), sentirse (to feel), servir (to serve), sonreír (to smile), sugerir (to suggest), vestirse (to get dressed).

“ir” verbs where an “o” is followed by a consonant. In these verbs, the “o” changes to a “u”, as seen in the verb “dormir” (to sleep).

Other verbs in this group: morir (to die).

“er” and “ir” verbs where an “i” will turn into a “y”, as seen in the verb “leer” (to read).
*These verbs are not strictly irregular (as explained below)

Other verbs in this group: caer (to fall), caerse (to fall), concluir (to conclude), construir (to build), contribuir (to contribute), creer (to believe), destruir (to destroy), distribuir (to distribute), huir (to run away), incluir (to include), influir (to influence), oír (to hear).

Exercises / Ejercicios

Now, we have a list of verbs that are highly irregular but are very common. Once again, the most effective approach is to memorize them and learn them by heart.

Note: ”decir” and “traer” (verbs with a “j” in their stem) change their ending from -eron to -ieron in the second and third-person plural in the past tense.

decir: yo dije, tú dijiste, él / ella / usted dijo, nosotros / nosotras dijimos, ustedes dijeron, ellos / ellas dijeron

traer: yo traje, tú trajiste, él / ella / usted trajo, nosotros / nosotras trajimos, ustedes trajeron, ellos / ellas trajeron

Exercises / Ejercicios

Lastly, verbs that end in “-ducir” change to “uj”:

Spelling Changes in Irregular Verbs

In addition to irregular verbs, some verbs undergo spelling changes. It is very important to note that these are not irregular. Rather, they require modifications to maintain the correct pronunciation. Only the first-person singular “yo” (I) form is affected in “-ar” verbs:

• Verbs ending in “-car” change the “c” to “qu”
• Verbs ending in “-gar” change the “g” to “gu”
• Verbs ending in “-zar” change the “z” to “c”

Verbs ending in “car” 

buscar (to search), explicar (to explain), justificar (to justify), publicar (to publish), sacar (to take out), tocar (to touch).

Verbs ending in “gar” 

apagar (to turn off), cargar (to carry), entregar (to deliver), llegar (to arrive), pagar (to pay), pegar (to paste).

Verbs ending in “zar” 

almorzar (to have lunch), comenzar (to start), empezar (to start), lanzar (to throw), realizar (to make), rezar (to pray).

“i” → “y”

For “-er” and “-ir” verbs that have a vowel before the ending “-er” or “-ir”, the “i” changes to a “y” in the third-person singular and plural to avoid having three vowels together.

*See above for this group. 

In this lesson, we looked into irregular verbs in the past tense in Spanish. We explored the conjugation patterns of irregular verbs, providing examples and explanations to help with comprehension. We also looked at specific verbs, such as “gustar” (to like) and reflexive verbs. To further enhance your understanding of Spanish grammar and the past tense, consider exploring lessons such as “The Past Tense in Spanish (Regular Verbs)” and “The Imperfect in Spanish”.

In Spanish, we use the preterite tense or past tense (“el pretérito indefinido”) to describe completed actions or events that took place at a specific point in the past and are now concluded. This tense is essential for narrating past stories and events.

Remember, in Spanish verbs end in -ar, -er, or -ir in the infinitive, or “pure” form (when they are not conjugated). 

However, it is important to keep in mind that when conjugating verbs in the past tense, some of them are regular (and adhere to a pattern), while others are irregular (and require different conjugation forms). 

Just like in the present tense, regular verbs in the past tense follow a pattern:

*As you may have noticed, “ar” verbs and “ir” verbs maintain the same conjugation in the “nosotros / nosotras” form in both the present and past tenses. Thus, “nosotros cocinamos” translates to both “we cook” and “we cooked”, while “nosotros abrimos” means both “we open” and “we opened”. But do not worry, context usually clarifies any confusion.

Here are some helpful tips to remember the conjugations for regular verbs:

-You only need to learn two patterns instead of three, as -er verbs and -ir verbs follow the same conjugation!

-The first person singular (“yo”) and the third person singular (“él”, “ella”, “usted”) forms have a written accent. By the way, it is very important to emphasize the pronunciation of this accent.

Exercises / Ejercicios

In this lesson, we focused on the past tense of regular verbs in Spanish. We outlined the conjugation pattern of regular verbs, common expressions used in the past tense as well as examples. Also, we provided a general understanding of how to properly form and apply the past tense correctly when recounting past events. If you would like to continue grasping Spanish grammar, you can explore “Irregular Verbs in the Past Tense” or “Introduction to Spanish Conjugations”.

In Spanish, there are two main past tenses: the past simple (pretérito indefinido) and the imperfect past tense (pretérito imperfecto)

We often use both tenses simultaneously, using one for certain situations and the other for different contexts, which occurs consistently.

In the imperfect tense, regular verbs are formed by following this pattern:

Notice the difference between -ar verbs and -er / -ir verbs, which have the same endings.

Additionally, like in most tenses, there are irregular verbs that we must remember:

The imperfect does not have a direct equivalent in English, making it essential to understand how it works and when to use it. It basically describes a past action that is completed, without specifying its beginning or end. 

Here are the primary uses of the imperfect:

• To talk about habits and ongoing actions in the past during specific periods of life, such as “cuando era niño” (when I was a child), “antes” (before), “cuando era joven” (when I was young), etc.. In English, we use similar expressions when we say “used to” or “would”.

• To describe people, places and scenes in the past.

• To express actions in progress that occurred simultaneously.

• To talk about the time and age.

• To express an action in progress that was interrupted by another action in the past.

Past Simple or Imperfect?

Keep in mind that both the imperfect and the past tense are used to talk about events in the past. However, the main difference between these two is that the imperfect tense is used when the beginning and ending of the action are unspecified. Also, expressions such as “anoche” (last night), “ayer” (yesterday), “la semana pasada” (last week), “hace unos días” (some days ago), etc. show a completed action.

Notice the difference between these sentences, one in the past tense and the other in the imperfect:

Notice how in these cases, specific expressions serve as clues: “el domingo” (on Sunday) o “el verano pasado” (last summer) indicate a completed action. On the other hand, expressions such as “Cuando éramos niños” (When we were children) or “todos los fines de semana” (every weekend) imply a repeated action in the past, a routine.

Keep in mind that the imperfect tense focuses on:

• Habits

Exercises / Ejercicios