leer preterite conjugation
Leer (to read) in the preterite: leí, leíste, leyó, leímos, leísteis, leyeron.
Pretérito indefinido Preterite
| yo | |
|---|---|
| tú | regular: leiste |
| él/ella/usted | regular: leió |
| nosotros | regular: leimos |
| vosotros | regular: leisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | regular: leieron |
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.
Leer is irregular here. 5 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give leiste, leió, leimos, leisteis, leieron.
Read more: Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each
Leer in a sentence
- Leo el periódico cada mañana.I read the newspaper every morning.
- Ella leyó la carta en voz alta.She read the letter aloud.
Spelling change i→y in preterite/gerund (leyó, leyendo) due to vowel clash.
FAQ
What is the preterite of leer?
Leer in the Spanish preterite: yo leí, tú leíste, él/ella/usted leyó, nosotros leímos, vosotros leísteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes leyeron.
Is leer irregular in the preterite?
Yes. 5 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: tú leíste (regular would be leiste); él/ella/usted leyó (regular would be leió); nosotros leímos (regular would be leimos); vosotros leísteis (regular would be leisteis); ellos/ellas/ustedes leyeron (regular would be leieron).
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.
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