The Preterit - Verbs with u, i, and j stems

The following verbs are all irregular in the preterite and are grouped in 3 different categories according to the irregularity they share in the stem (front part of the infinitive which precedes the endings -ar, -er, and -ir).

1. “u”-stem verbs: ALL the persons have the vowel “u” in the stem of the preterite.

2. “i”-stem verbs: ALL the persons have the vowel “i” in the stem of the preterite.

3. “j”-stem verbs: ALL the persons have the consonant “j” in the stem of the preterite.

Pay careful attention to their conjugations. Notice the stem in the infinitive (in blue), the spelling change in the stem of the preterite (in red), and the endings (in black). Notice that all these verbs share the same endings: -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron; with the only exception in the third person plural of the “j”-stem verbs, which omit the i of -ieron.
Also, notice that no accents whatsoever are required!

I. “u”-stem verbs

estar	estuve	estuvimos
(to be)	estuviste	estuvisteis
	estuvo	estuvieron

andar	anduve	anduvimos
(to walk)	anduviste	anduvisteis
	anduvo	anduvieron
saber	supe	supimos
(to know)	supiste	supisteis
	supo	supieron
poner	puse	pusimos
(to put, to place)	pusiste	pusisteis
	puso	pusieron
poder	pude	pudimos
(to be able to)	pudiste	pudisteis
	pudo	pudieron
tener	tuve	tuvimos
(to have)	tuviste	tuvisteis
	tuvo	tuvieron

II. “i”-stem verbs

hacer	hice	hicimos
(to do, to make)	hiciste	hicisteis
	hizo	hicieron
querer	quise	quisimos
(to want, to love)	quisiste	quisisteis
	quiso	quisieron
venir	vine	vinimos
(to come)	viniste	vinisteis
	vino	vinieron

III. “j”-stem verbs

conducir	conduje	condujimos
(to drive)	condujiste	condujisteis
	condujo	condujeron
producir	produje	produjimos
(to produce)	produjiste	produjisteis
	produjo	produjeron
traducir	traduje	tradujimos
(to translate)	tradujiste	tradujisteis
	tradujo	tradujeron
traer	traje	trajimos
(to bring)	trajiste	trajisteis
	trajo	trajeron
decir	dije	dijimos
(to say, to tell)	dijiste	dijisteis
	dijo	dijeron

Note 1: Notice the spelling change in the third person singular of hacer; it is not “hico” but “hizo, ” to maintain the same sound than the other forms. Remember that before vowels a, o, u, we use “z;” and before vowels i, e, we use “c.” For example: zapato, cereza, ciruela, zorro, zumo.

Note 2:The verb decir has been grouped under the “j”-stem verbs, but notice that this verb also undergoes another spelling change, namely, the “e” in the stem of the infinitive changes to “i” in te stem of the preterite.

Note 3: In Latin America, the verb used for to drive is manejar; conducir is only used in Spain. The preterite of manejar is: manejé, manejaste, manejó, manejamos, manejaron (all its forms are regular).

Examples:

Estuve en coma una semana.
I was in a coma one week.

No supieron qué decir.
They didn’t know what to say.

¿Pusiste la ropa sucia en la lavadora?
Did you put the dirty clothes in the washer?

No pudimos encontrar el hotel.
We couldn’t find the hotel.

¿Tuvisteis la oportunidad de viajar a Japón?
Did you guys have the opportunity to travel to Japan?

Hizo todo lo que pudo.
He did everything he could.

Todos quisimos mucho a nuestros padres.
We all loved our parents very much.

¿Por qué no vinisteis con nosotros a la playa?
Why didn’t you come with us to the beach?

Condujeron toda la noche.
They drove all night.

Sus negocios produjeron muchos beneficios.
His businesses produced a lot of benefits.

¿Quién tradujo este poema?
Who translated this poem?

Vosotros dos no trajisteis nada para comer.
You two brought nothing to eat.

Perdón, ¿qué dijiste?
Excuse me, what did you say?