oír preterite conjugation
Oír (to hear) in the preterite: oí, oíste, oyó, oímos, oísteis, oyeron.
Pretérito indefinido Preterite
| yo | |
|---|---|
| tú | regular: oiste |
| él/ella/usted | regular: oió |
| nosotros | regular: oimos |
| vosotros | regular: oisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | regular: oieron |
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.
Oír is irregular here. 5 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give oiste, oió, oimos, oisteis, oieron.
Read more: Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each
Oír in a sentence
- Oigo música todo el tiempo.I hear music all the time.
- Oí un ruido extraño anoche.I heard a strange noise last night.
Highly irregular: yo oigo; add y in third person (oye, oyeron).
FAQ
What is the preterite of oír?
Oír in the Spanish preterite: yo oí, tú oíste, él/ella/usted oyó, nosotros oímos, vosotros oísteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes oyeron.
Is oír irregular in the preterite?
Yes. 5 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: tú oíste (regular would be oiste); él/ella/usted oyó (regular would be oió); nosotros oímos (regular would be oimos); vosotros oísteis (regular would be oisteis); ellos/ellas/ustedes oyeron (regular would be oieron).
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 oír conjugation, all tenses →
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