Explanation
There are several Spanish verbs that undergo a spelling change in certain preterite tense conjugations.
Spanish verbs that undergo a spelling change in the preterite fall into two main groups, both of which we'll talk about in more depth below.
Group 1: -car, -gar, and -zar Verbs
The first-person singular (yo) endings of these verbs undergo the following changes:
| Verb Type | Change | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -car | c changes to qu | busqué |
| -gar | g changes to gu | cargué |
| -zar | z changes to c | almorcé |
Conjugation Examples
Here is an example of the full preterite tense conjugation for each type of verb.
Common -car, -gar, and -zar Verbs
Here is a list of some common -car, -gar, and -zar verbs you're likely to hear.
Group 2: -caer, -eer, -oer, -oír, and -uir Verbs
The third person singular, third person plural, and second person formal singular endings of these verbs all undergo the same change.
| Subject | Change | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Third person singular (él, ella) | i changes to y | leyó |
| Third person plural (ellos, ellas) | i changes to y | leyeron |
| Second person formal singular (usted) | i changes to y | leyó |
Conjugation Examples
Here is an example of the full preterite tense conjugation for each type of verb.
Preterite Conjugations for Caer and Leer
Preterite Conjugations for Roer, Oír, and Concluir
Common -caer, -eer, -oer, -oír, and -uir Verbs
Here is a list of some common -caer, -eer, -oer, -oír, and -uir verbs you're likely to hear.
| -caer Verbs | -eer Verbs | -oer Verbs | -oír Verbs | -uir Verbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| decaer | creer | corroer | entreoír | atribuir |
| recaer | poseer | distribuir | ||
| proveer | construir | |||
| releer | diluir | |||
| incluir | ||||
| influir | ||||
| disminuir | ||||
| destituir | ||||
| huir | ||||
| contribuir | ||||
| recluir |
Are you looking for more information about past tenses in Spanish? Take a look at these articles:
