haber preterite conjugation
Haber (to have (auxiliary) / there is) in the preterite: hube, hubiste, hubo, hubimos, hubisteis, hubieron.
Pretérito indefinido Preterite
| yo | regular: habí |
|---|---|
| tú | regular: habiste |
| él/ella/usted | regular: habió |
| nosotros | regular: habimos |
| vosotros | regular: habisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | regular: habieron |
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.
Haber is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give habí, habiste, habió, habimos, habisteis, habieron.
Read more: Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each
Haber in a sentence
- Hay tres libros en la mesa.There are three books on the table.
- Ella ha comido ya.She has already eaten.
Auxiliary verb for compound tenses; 'hay' means 'there is/are', highly irregular.
FAQ
What is the preterite of haber?
Haber in the Spanish preterite: yo hube, tú hubiste, él/ella/usted hubo, nosotros hubimos, vosotros hubisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes hubieron.
Is haber irregular in the preterite?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: yo hube (regular would be habí); tú hubiste (regular would be habiste); él/ella/usted hubo (regular would be habió); nosotros hubimos (regular would be habimos); vosotros hubisteis (regular would be habisteis); ellos/ellas/ustedes hubieron (regular would be habieron).
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 haber conjugation, all tenses →
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