Irregular preterite: ser, ir, hacer
Three of the most-used verbs are irregular in the past, and ser and ir even share the same forms.
Theory
Learn these by heart: you’ll use them every time you talk about the past.
ser / ir and hacer
| Who | ser / ir | hacer |
|---|---|---|
| yo | fui | hice |
| tú | fuiste | hiciste |
| él / ella / usted | fue | hizo |
| nosotros/as | fuimos | hicimos |
| vosotros/as | fuisteis | hicisteis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | fueron | hicieron |
In real sentences
| Verb | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| ir | Fui a Roma en mayo. | I went to Rome in May. |
| ir | Fuimos en tren. | We went by train. |
| ser | Fue un día increíble. | It was an amazing day. |
| ser | Fue mi profesor. | He was my teacher. |
| hacer | ¿Qué hiciste ayer? | What did you do yesterday? |
| hacer | Hizo mucho calor. | It was very hot. |
ser = ir in the past
Fui a Madrid. = I went.
Fui camarero. = I was a waiter.
Context tells you which.
ir a + place
Fuimos a la playa. = We went to the beach.
hizo with a z
hice, hiciste, hizo = I did, you did, he / she did
Not hico.
No accents
fui, fue, hice, hizo = I went / was, he / she went / was, I did, he / she did
Unlike regular hablé, habló = I spoke, he / she spoke.
fue + adjective
Sum up an event:
Fue genial. = It was great.
Fue horrible. = It was awful.
The key question
¿Qué hiciste el fin de semana? = What did you do at the weekend?
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