ser preterite conjugation
Ser (to be (permanent state)) in the preterite: fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron.
Pretérito indefinido Preterite
| yo | regular: sí |
|---|---|
| tú | regular: siste |
| él/ella/usted | regular: sió |
| nosotros | regular: simos |
| vosotros | regular: sisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | regular: sieron |
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.
Ser is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give sí, siste, sió, simos, sisteis, sieron.
Read more: Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each
Ser in a sentence
- Ella es doctora.She is a doctor.
- Nosotros éramos amigos de niños.We were friends as children.
Irregular verb; use for identity, characteristics, origin, time, not temporary states.
FAQ
What is the preterite of ser?
Ser in the Spanish preterite: yo fui, tú fuiste, él/ella/usted fue, nosotros fuimos, vosotros fuisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes fueron.
Is ser irregular in the preterite?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: yo fui (regular would be sí); tú fuiste (regular would be siste); él/ella/usted fue (regular would be sió); nosotros fuimos (regular would be simos); vosotros fuisteis (regular would be sisteis); ellos/ellas/ustedes fueron (regular would be sieron).
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 ser conjugation, all tenses →
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