caer preterite conjugation
Caer (to fall) in the preterite: caí, caíste, cayó, caímos, caísteis, cayeron.
Pretérito indefinido Preterite
| yo | |
|---|---|
| tú | regular: caiste |
| él/ella/usted | regular: caió |
| nosotros | regular: caimos |
| vosotros | regular: caisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | regular: caieron |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the preterite
The preterite (pretérito indefinido) is the past tense for completed actions with a clear start or end: “Ayer hice la cena.” For background, habits and ongoing states in the past, Spanish uses the imperfect instead.
How it is formed
Regular endings: -ar → é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron; -er/-ir → í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron. Many common verbs use an irregular stem (hic-, tuv-, estuv-, pud-, quis-, dij-) with unstressed endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
Caer is irregular here. 5 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give caiste, caió, caimos, caisteis, caieron.
Read more: Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each
Caer in a sentence
- Me caigo mucho cuando esquío.I fall a lot when I ski.
- Las hojas cayeron del árbol.The leaves fell from the tree.
Irregular yo form (caigo); i→y in preterite (cayó); often reflexive 'caerse'.
FAQ
What is the preterite of caer?
Caer in the Spanish preterite: yo caí, tú caíste, él/ella/usted cayó, nosotros caímos, vosotros caísteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes cayeron.
Is caer irregular in the preterite?
Yes. 5 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: tú caíste (regular would be caiste); él/ella/usted cayó (regular would be caió); nosotros caímos (regular would be caimos); vosotros caísteis (regular would be caisteis); ellos/ellas/ustedes cayeron (regular would be caieron).
When do you use the Spanish preterite?
The preterite (pretérito indefinido) is the past tense for completed actions with a clear start or end: “Ayer hice la cena.” For background, habits and ongoing states in the past, Spanish uses the imperfect instead.
How is the preterite formed?
Regular endings: -ar → é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron; -er/-ir → í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron. Many common verbs use an irregular stem (hic-, tuv-, estuv-, pud-, quis-, dij-) with unstressed endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
Full caer conjugation, all tenses →
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