When you’re learning Spanish, mastering the preterite tense is crucial for expressing completed actions in the past. Regular -er verbs form the second largest group of verbs in Spanish, and fortunately, they follow a consistent pattern in the preterite tense.
Conjugation Rule
To conjugate regular -er verbs in the preterite tense, follow these steps:
- Remove the -er ending from the infinitive form of the verb.
- Add the appropriate ending based on the subject:
| Subject | Ending |
|---|---|
| yo | -í |
| tú | -iste |
| él/ella/usted | -ió |
| nosotros/nosotras | -imos |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -ieron |
Note that these endings are identical to those used for regular -ir verbs in the preterite tense.
Examples
Let’s look at some common regular -er verbs and their conjugations in the preterite tense:
1. Comer (to eat)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | comí |
| tú | comiste |
| él/ella/usted | comió |
| nosotros/nosotras | comimos |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | comieron |
2. Beber (to drink)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | bebí |
| tú | bebiste |
| él/ella/usted | bebió |
| nosotros/nosotras | bebimos |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | bebieron |
3. Aprender (to learn)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | aprendí |
| tú | aprendiste |
| él/ella/usted | aprendió |
| nosotros/nosotras | aprendimos |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | aprendieron |
Usage in Context
Here are some example sentences to help you understand how these verbs are used in real-life situations:
- Ayer comí paella por primera vez. (Yesterday, I ate paella for the first time.)
- ¿Bebiste agua después de hacer ejercicio? (Did you drink water after exercising?)
- Ellos aprendieron español el año pasado. (They learned Spanish last year.)
- Nosotros corrimos un maratón el mes pasado. (We ran a marathon last month.)
Key Points to Remember
- The preterite tense is used for completed actions in the past.
- Regular -er verbs follow a consistent pattern in the preterite tense.
- The endings for regular -er verbs are the same as those for regular -ir verbs in the preterite.
- Pay attention to accent marks in the él/ella/usted and ellos/ellas/ustedes forms.
By practicing these conjugations and using them in context, you’ll quickly become comfortable with regular -er verbs in the Spanish preterite tense. Remember, consistent practice is key to mastering any aspect of language learning.
Synonyms:
- English: Regular -ER Verbs in Simple Past, Past Simple, Preterite Tense, Past Historic
- Spanish: Verbos Regulares en -ER en Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito