-EER Verbs in Spanish Preterite (Past) Tense

-EER verbs form a distinct group in Spanish with unique conjugation rules in the Preterite (Past) tense. While they mostly follow the regular -er verb patterns, they undergo a special spelling change in the third-person forms to maintain correct pronunciation and stress.

What Sets -EER Verbs Apart?

• End in -eer (examples include leer, creer, poseer)
• Change ‘i’ to ‘y’ in the third-person singular and plural forms in the preterite tense
• Follow regular -er verb conjugations for all other forms

How to Conjugate -EER Verbs in the Preterite Tense

Let’s use the verb “leer” (to read) as an example:

1. Yo leí (I read)
2. Tú leíste (You read)
3. Él/Ella/Usted leyó (He/She/You [formal] read)
4. Nosotros leímos (We read)
5. Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes leyeron (They/You all [formal] read)

Notice the change from ‘i’ to ‘y’ in the third-person singular (“leyó”) and plural (“leyeron”) forms.

Common -EER Verbs You’ll Encounter

Here are some of the most frequently used -EER verbs:

1. Leer (to read)
2. Creer (to believe)
3. Poseer (to possess)
4. Proveer (to provide)
5. Releer (to reread)

Examples in Context

• Creer (to believe):
  • Yo creí, tú creíste, él creyó, nosotros creímos, ellos creyeron
• Poseer (to possess):
  • Yo poseí, tú poseíste, ella poseyó, nosotros poseímos, ellos poseyeron

Putting It All Together

• Ayer leí un libro interesante. (Yesterday, I read an interesting book.)
• Ellos no creyeron mi historia. (They didn’t believe my story.)
• La empresa poseyó la patente por diez años. (The company possessed the patent for ten years.)

Key Takeaways

• Only the third-person forms (singular and plural) change ‘i’ to ‘y.’
• All other forms follow the regular -er verb preterite conjugation.
• This change is purely for spelling and does not affect pronunciation.
• The stress remains on the last syllable in all forms.

By mastering these unique -EER verbs, you’ll gain the ability to express completed past actions with accuracy and fluency, bringing you one step closer to sounding like a native Spanish speaker.

Synonyms:

• English: -EER Spelling-Change Verbs in Simple Past, Past Simple, Preterite Tense, Past Historic
• Spanish: Verbos en -EER con Cambios Ortográficos en Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito