6.2.3

Irregular AR Verbs 2

Test yourself

'Strong Preterites'

'Strong preterites' differ from the general rules but still follow a pattern. They do NOT have any accents on the endings - instead, the stress falls on the stem of the verb.

Illustrative background for Andar - to walkIllustrative background for Andar - to walk ?? "content

Andar - to walk

  • Add 'uv' at the end of the stem:
    • Anduve - I walked.
    • Anduviste - you walked.
    • Anduvo - he walked.
    • Anduvimos - we walked.
    • Anduvisteis - you walked.
    • Anduvieron - they walked.
Illustrative background for Estar - to beIllustrative background for Estar - to be ?? "content

Estar - to be

  • Add 'uv' at the end of the stem:
    • Estuve - I was.
    • Estuviste - you were.
    • Estuvo - she was.
    • Estuvimos - we were.
    • Estuvisteis - you were.
    • Estuvieron - they were.
Illustrative background for Dar - to giveIllustrative background for Dar - to give ?? "content

Dar - to give

  • Changes the vowel to 'i':
    • Di - I gave.
    • Diste - you gave.
    • Dio - she gave.
    • Dimos - we gave.
    • Disteis - you gave.
    • Dieron - they gave.

Irregular AR Verbs in the Preterite Tense

Some AR verbs are irregular in the preterite tense. Here are some examples:

Illustrative background for Verbs ending in 'gar'Illustrative background for Verbs ending in 'gar' ?? "content

Verbs ending in 'gar'

  • Spanish verbs ending in 'gar' in the preterite change their spelling in the first person (yo).
  • These verbs add a 'u' after 'g'. For example:
    • Jugar (to play) → jugué (played).
    • Negar (to deny) → negué (I denied).
    • Llegar (to arrive) → llegué (I arrived).
    • Pagar (to pay) → pagué (I paid).
Illustrative background for Verbs ending in 'car'Illustrative background for Verbs ending in 'car' ?? "content

Verbs ending in 'car'

  • Spanish verbs ending in 'car' change their spelling in the first person preterite, they then follow a regular pattern after this.
  • The 'car' in the infinitive changes to 'qué' in the 'yo' form. For example:
    • Practicar (to practice) → practiqué (I practiced).
    • Buscar (to look for) → busqué (I looked for).
    • Tocar (to play) → toqué (I touched).
Illustrative background for Verbs ending in 'zar'Illustrative background for Verbs ending in 'zar' ?? "content

Verbs ending in 'zar'

  • AR verbs that end in 'zar' have an irregular 'yo' form in the preterite tense.
  • The 'zar' in the infinitive changes to 'cé' in the 'yo' form, for example:
    • Comenzar (to start) → comen (I started).
    • Utilizar (to use) → utili (I used).
    • Organizar (to organise) → organi (I organised).
Illustrative background for Andar (to walk)Illustrative background for Andar (to walk) ?? "content

Andar (to walk)

  • It does NOT have any accents on the endings.
  • Add 'uv' at the end of the stem:
    • Anduve - I walked.
    • Anduviste - you walked.
    • Anduvo - he walked.
    • Anduvimos - we walked.
    • Anduvisteis - you walked.
    • Anduvieron - they walked.
Illustrative background for Estar (to be)Illustrative background for Estar (to be) ?? "content

Estar (to be)

  • It does NOT have any accents on the endings.
  • Add 'uv' at the end of the stem:
    • Estuve - I was.
    • Estuviste - you were.
    • Estuvo - she was.
    • Estuvimos - we were.
    • Estuvisteis - you were.
    • Estuvieron - they were.

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1The Basics

2Current & Future Study & Employment

3Identity & Culture

3.1Me, My Family & Friends

3.2Me, My Family & Friends - Translations

3.3Technology in Everyday Life

3.4Technology in Everyday Life - Translations

3.5Free Time Activities

3.6Free Time Activities - Translations

3.7Customs & Festivals in Spanish Speaking Countries

3.8Customs & Festivals - Translations

4Areas of Interest

4.1Home, Town, Neighbourhood & Region

4.2Home, Town, Neighbourhood & Region - Translations

4.3Social Issues

4.4Social Issues - Translations

4.5Global Issues

4.6Global Issues - Translations

4.7Travel & Tourism

4.8Travel & Tourism - Translations

5Listening Practice

6Common Tenses

7Important Verbs

8Advanced Tenses

9Extra Grammar

9.1Articles

9.2Negatives

9.3Nouns

9.4Asking Questions

9.5Adjectives

9.6Adverbs

9.7Conjunctions

9.8Pronouns

9.9By, With, From, Of

9.10Verbs

9.11Comparisons

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