If you've been studying Spanish for a while, you've probably already tackled the preterite tense and discovered that irregular verbs can feel like a real headache. The truth is, though, that once you know a few smart strategies, the whole system starts to make a lot of sense. In this lesson, we'll share 7 tricks to help you master the preterite conjugations of the most common irregular Spanish verbs — and make them stick for good.

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Two Key Terms Before We Start

Before we dive into the tricks, let's quickly clarify two terms we'll use throughout this lesson: stem and ending.

Take the verb hacer (to do/make). In the preterite, the yo form is yo hice (I did/made). Now, if you remove the -e at the end, what's left — hic- — is the stem. Simply put, the stem is the core part of the conjugated verb, and the ending is what you attach to it to indicate who is doing the action:

📌 hacer → yo hice (I did/made) → stem: hic- + ending: -e

Una de las primeras cosas que yo hice en el circo es el arte de payaso.

One of the first things that I did in the circus is the art of clowning.

Caption 24, Circo Berlín Lucas - Part 2

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Keep this in mind — it's the foundation of everything that follows!

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Trick #1: The YES Trick — Yo, Endings, Stem

This is the most important trick in the whole lesson — and the name tells you exactly what to do. The YES trick stands for Yo (I in English), Endings, and Stem, and it gives you a simple three-step method for cracking any irregular preterite conjugation in Spanish.

Step Y — The Yo Form Always Ends in -E

In irregular preterites, the yo form always ends in an unstressed -e — no exceptions and no accent mark. This is your starting point every single time.

Step E — Learn the Shared Endings

Here's something that will save you a lot of time: most irregular preterite verbs share the same set of endings, regardless of whether they end in -ar, -er, or -ir in the infinitive:

• Yo (I): -e
• Tú (you): -iste
• Él/Ella/Usted (he/she/you formal): -o
• Nosotros (we): -imos
• Vosotros (you all — used in Spain): -isteis
• Ellos/Ustedes (they/you all): -ieron

Memorize these once and you can apply them to all irregular preterites. That's a big return on a small investment!

Step S — The Yo Form Unlocks the Stem

Once you know the yo form, you automatically know the stem you'll use for the entire conjugation. Just remove the -e ending and what's left is your stem. Now watch how it all comes together with the verb hacer (to do/make):

• Yo hice (I did/made) → stem: hic- + e

• Tú (you): -iste hic + iste = tú hiciste (you did/made)

• Él/Ella/Usted (he/she/you formal): -o hiz + o = hizo (he/she did/made)*

*You may have noticed that the stem changes from hic- to hiz- here. This is a spelling adjustment to preserve pronunciation. Think of the word tráfico (traffic) — notice how the c before o makes a hard k sound. If we wrote hico, the same thing would happen and the soft sound of hice would be completely lost. By changing c to z before the -o ending, we keep the pronunciation consistent.

Listen to the following clips — first a word ending in -co, then hizo — and notice how the z in hizo preserves that softer sound:

hay mucho tráfico.

there's a lot of traffic.

Caption 19, Ariana España

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pero lo que él hizo es grave.

but what he did is serious.

Caption 12, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 3 - Part 13

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• Nosotros (we): -imos hic + imos = hicimos (we did/made)

• Vosotros (you all — used in Spain): -isteis hic + isteis = hicisteis (you all did/made)

• Ellos/Ustedes (they/you all): -ieron hic + ieron = hicieron (they did/made)

See how it all comes together? That's the YES trick in action!

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Trick #2: No Accent Marks on Irregular Preterites

This is a small but very important detail that trips up a lot of learners. Regular preterites carry accent marks on the yo and él/ella/usted forms — think hablé (I spoke) and habló (he/she spoke). Irregular preterites, however, are written without any accent marks at all. So hice (I did), vine (I came), puse (I put), tuve (I had) — all without tildes. Keep this in mind and you'll avoid one of the most common written mistakes in Spanish

yo vine aquí a España hace veintitrés años. Mm...

I came here to Spain twenty-three years ago. Mmm...

Caption 13, Adriana y Laura Mijas

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Trick #3: -Iste and -Isteis Are Almost Identical

The tú ending (-iste) and the vosotros ending (-isteis) are practically the same — you just add is at the end: -iste → -isteis. Once you know hiciste (you did/made), you practically already know hicisteis (you all did/made)! And this works for every single irregular preterite — no exceptions!

René, no sabes cuánto te agradezco lo que hiciste por nosotros.

René, you have no idea how much I appreciate what you did for us.

Caption 64, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 4 - Part 2

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¿Hicisteis vuestros deberes?

Did you guys do your homework?

Caption 56, Carlos explica Tuteo, ustedeo y voseo: Ustedes y vosotros

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Trick #4: Group Your Verbs into Families — The "U & I" Rule

One of the most effective strategies for learning irregular preterite stems is to group verbs into families based on their vowel. Most irregular preterite stems fall into one of two groups — the U verbs and the I verbs:

U verbs — their stems contain the vowel u:

• tener (to have) → tuve (I had)

• estar (to be) → estuve (I was)

• andar (to walk) → anduve (I walked)

• poner (to put) → puse (I put)

• poder (to be able to) → pude (I could)

• saber (to know) → supe (I knew)

Pues, me cogí la furgoneta y estuve aquí unas semanas

Well, I took the van, and I was here for a few weeks,

Caption 42, Amaya Recordando - Part 3

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I verbs — their stems contain the vowel i:

• hacer (to do/make) → hice (I did/made)

• venir (to come) → vine (I came)

• querer (to want) → quise (I wanted)

Yo quise mostrar las dos caras de la moneda,

I wanted to show both sides of the coin,

Caption 63, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 4 - Part 1

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⚠️ Watch out! There's a small third group worth knowing — verbs like decir (to say/to tell) → dije (I said) and traer (to bring) → traje (I brought) — whose stems end in -j. These verbs drop the i in the ellos/ustedes form and use -eron instead of -ieron: dijeron (they said) and trajeron (they brought) — not dijieron or trajieron. It's a small detail but one that's very easy to get wrong, so keep an eye on it!

Oiga, ¿y usted cómo supo mi nombre? Me lo dijeron los policías.

Hey, and how did you find out my name? The police officers told me.

Captions 25-26, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 3 - Part 13

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Trick #5: Ser and Ir Share the Exact Same Conjugation

This one always surprises learners! The verbs ser (to be) and ir (to go) — two completely different verbs — are absolutely identical in the preterite: fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron. The only thing that tells them apart is context. The upside? You only need to memorize one set of forms for two of the most common verbs in Spanish!

y allí es donde fui a estudiar... un año, interna, mm... educación física.

and that's where I went to study... for a year, boarding, mm... physical education.

Caption 6, Mari Carmen Polanco

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sí fui muy honesto con todo el mundo,

I was indeed very honest with everyone,

Caption 14, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 5 - Part 3

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Trick #6: Learn the "Parent" Verb and You'll Know Its "Children"

In Spanish, many verbs are built by adding a prefix to an existing verb — and they always follow the exact same preterite pattern as their root verb. For example, once you know poner (to put) → puse (I put), you automatically know:

• suponer (to suppose) → supuse (I supposed)

• proponer (to propose) → propuse (I proposed)

• componer (to compose) → compuse (I composed)

The same applies to tener (mantener, obtener, contener...) and venir (convenir, intervenir...). Learn the parent verb and the whole family comes for free!

y le propuse ir a tomar algo

and I suggested to her to go have a drink

Caption 46, Aprendiendo con Silvia Frases hechas - Part 2

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Mamá Bucha mantuvo el acontecimiento en secreto.

Mama Bucha kept the event secret.

Caption 34, Leyendas urbanas Chico Largo

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Trick #7: Start with the Most Common Irregular Preterites

You don't need to learn every irregular preterite at once. Focus on the most common ones first — the verbs you'll actually use in real conversations every single day — and build from there:

• ser (to be) / ir (to go) → fui (I was / I went)

• hacer (to do/make) → hice (I did/made)

• tener (to have) → tuve (I had)

• estar (to be) → estuve (I was)

• poder (to be able to) → pude (I could)

• poner (to put) → puse (I put)

• venir (to come) → vine (I came)

• decir (to say) → dije (I said)

• saber (to know) → supe (I knew)

• querer (to want) → quise (I wanted)

y no tuve tiempo de ponerme en contacto con vosotros.

and I didn't have time to get in touch with you guys.

Caption 28, Negocios Problemas laborales - Part 2

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así que solo pudimos dar una pequeña vuelta por los alrededores

so we could only take a short stroll around the surrounding area

Caption 50, Viajando con Fermín Caravaning - Part 1

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Master these and you'll be able to communicate in the past tense with confidence in the vast majority of everyday situations. Here's a visual summary of everything we've covered today — save it and keep it handy!

You can also download this cheat sheet as a PDF — perfect for printing or keeping on your phone for quick reference!

Your Shortcut to Irregular Preterite Conjugations in Spanish

Learning the preterite of irregular Spanish verbs doesn't have to feel overwhelming. Start with the YES trick, group your verbs into families, watch out for the small exceptions, and always prioritize the most common verbs first. But remember — the real trick is practice! Try building simple sentences you can actually remember: ayer fui al cine (yesterday I went to the movies), ella no pudo dormir (she couldn't sleep), ¿qué hiciste el fin de semana? (what did you do over the weekend?). The more you use these forms in real sentences, the faster they'll stick.

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Do you have questions about any of the tricks we covered today, or would you like to share what works best for you? We'd love to hear from you — send us your comments and questions! ¡Hasta la próxima!

The Spanish verb echar can be used in many different ways and appears in a host of different Spanish idiomatic expressions. Let's explore the many meanings and uses of the Spanish verb echar.

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Standard Meanings of the Verb Echar

While the first definition of echar in dictionaries is typically "to throw," it can refer to any literal or figurative movement from one point to another and can thus be translated in many fashions depending upon the context. Let's take a look at several of its most common meanings with examples from our Yabla Spanish library.

To Throw:

Although the Spanish verb echar can literally mean "to throw," "toss," or "hurl" something, it is probably more common to hear verbs like tirar, lanzar, or arrojar used with this meaning. That said, let's take a look at an example where echar means to physically throw something:

y le echas harina y se lo pones en el pelo y... ¡Chwak!

and you throw flour on her and you put it in her hair and... Bam!

Caption 17, Club 10 Capítulo 1 - Part 1

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To Throw Out/Away:

The Spanish verb echar can also be used in the way we use the verbs "to throw" something "out" or "away," whether literally or figuratively. Let's look at an example of each: 

Todo estaba tranquilo y lo echaste a la basura

Everything was calm and you threw it in the garbage

Caption 3, Sondulo Que te vaya mal

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To Add/Put in:

The verb echar in Spanish often appears in recipes and other contexts when talking about "adding" or "putting in" some ingredient, etc. Let's take a look:

Le voy a echar un poco de nata...

I'm going to add a bit of cream to it...

Caption 47, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 9

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Bueno, también le podemos echar diferentes clases de condimentos.

Well, we can also put in different kinds of seasoning.

Caption 24, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 2

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To Pour:

Along these same lines, echar can also be used to mean to pour something into something else: 

Solo falta echarla en el molde 

We just need to pour it into the mold

Caption 38, Cleer y Lía El día de la madre

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To Kick Out/Throw Out/Expel/Fire: 

The verb echar in Spanish may also refer to getting rid of someone in the sense of throwing or kicking them out, temporarily or permanently:

No sé qué hace este señor todavía acá, lo eché esta misma tarde.

I don't know what this gentleman is still doing here. I threw him out this very afternoon.

Caption 33, Muñeca Brava 3 Nueva Casa - Part 4

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Se mueren por saber por qué echó a la chirusa.

They're dying to know why she fired the vulgar girl.

Caption 42, Carlos y Cyndy Comentario sobre Muñeca Brava

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To Expel/Emit/Give Off: 

And speaking of "expelling" and "fire," the verb echar in Spanish can also mean to "expel," "emit," "give off," or "spew" fire or smoke, for example: 

Pero eso no lo iba a entender un dragón al que solo le interesaba rugir y echar fuego por la boca.

But a dragon who was only interested in roaring and spewing fire from his mouth wasn't going to get it.

Caption 49, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 1 - Part 7

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To Start:

And, to conclude with our more standard uses of the Spanish verb echar, the formula echar + infinitive means "to start" [doing something]:

y ven la batidora, echan a correr.

and they see the blender, they start to run.

Caption 31, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 8

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This meaning might also be seen with the reflexive version of the verb, echarse.

Pero ya las lágrimas se echaban a correr

But the tears were starting to fall

Caption 8, Jeremías Uno y uno igual a tres

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More Meanings of the Reflexive Verb Echarse

Let's take a look at some additional uses of the reflexive verb echarse. 

To Lie Down/Get Down/Throw Oneself

The reflexive verb echarse can be used to talk about "lying down" as in Me voy a echar en la cama (I'm going to lie down in bed) or generally "throwing oneself" or "getting down":

Los hombres que cuando se les dicen de echarse al suelo es que no quieren ninguno.

When men are told to get down on the ground, the thing is that no one wants to.

Captions 52-53, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 8

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To Move

The reflexive verb echarse can additionally have the connotation of moving from one place to another, as in the first example, and is therefore heard often in songs, as in the second, with various translations to tell people how they should move.

donde el pueblo se echa a la calle junto a miles de visitantes

where the town goes out onto the street along with thousands of visitors

Caption 57, Viajando con Fermín Frigiliana, Málaga

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Échate pa' un lado

Move aside

Caption 8, Javier García EPK - Part 2

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Idiomatic Expressions with the Spanish Verb Echar

Now, let's look at several Spanish idioms that involve the Spanish verbs echar or echarse with examples in context:

Echar la culpa (to blame)

¡Y me echó la culpa de todo!

And she blamed everything on me!

Caption 13, Guillermina y Candelario La Peluqueria del Mar - Part 1

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Echarse a reír/llorar (to burst out laughing/crying)

El marido se echó a reír al ver la cara de sorpresa de su esposa.

The husband burst out laughing when he saw his wife's surprised face.

Caption 32, Cleer El espejo de Matsuyama

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Después de haberse marchado todos, estaba sola en casa y se echó a llorar.

After everyone had left, she was alone in the house and burst out crying.

Captions 29-30, Cuentos de hadas Cenicienta - Part 1

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Echar la/una siesta (to take a nap/siesta)

Después de comer, solemos echar la siesta

After eating, we usually take a nap

Caption 20, El Aula Azul Actividades Diarias

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Echar la llave (to lock)

Ahora cerramos la puerta, echamos la llave

Now we close the door, we lock it,

Caption 12, Escuela BCNLIP Clase con Javi: el futuro - Part 1

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Echar de menos (to miss)

De España echo mucho de menos el clima,

From Spain, I really miss the weather,

Caption 39, Álvaro Arquitecto Español en Londres

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Echar la/una mano (to lend a hand)

para que nos eche una mano y les vamos a dar

so that he can lend us a hand and we are going to give them

Caption 50, Club de las ideas Bioparc

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Echar(le) un vistazo (to take a look)

De acuerdo, deje que eche un vistazo.

OK, let me take a look.

Caption 63, Negocios Empezar en un nuevo trabajo - Part 2

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Echarle ganas (to work hard)

Así es y pues aquí mira, trabajando, echándole ganas y...

It's so, and well, [we] are here, [you] see, working, giving it my all and...

Caption 17, Edificio en Construcción Hablando con los trabajadores - Part 2

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Echar a perder (to mess up/spoil/ruin or bankrupt)

No puedo, negrita, ya eché a perder como diez laburo'.

I can't, honey. I already messed up like ten jobs.

Caption 3, Muñeca Brava 3 Nueva Casa - Part 5

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Echar (más) leña al fuego (to add (more) fuel to the fire)

¡Callate, Rufino! No eches más leña al fuego, ¿querés?

Shut up, Rufino! Don't put more wood into the fire [don't add fuel to the fire], will you?

Caption 23, Yago 8 Descubrimiento - Part 2

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Echar las campanas al vuelo (to vehemently celebrate prematurely)

Todavía no ha jugado el partido de fútbol y ya está "echando las campanas al vuelo", 

He hasn't played the soccer match yet, and he's already "throwing the bells in the air,"

Captions 45-46, Aprendiendo con Silvia Campanas - Part 2

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Although the literal meaning is totally different, this Spanish expression is comparable to the English idiom about "counting one's chickens before they are hatched." For more such examples, check out this lesson on Spanish idioms and their (very different) English equivalents.

As there are so many standard and idiomatic ways to use the Spanish verb echar that it would be impossible to name them all, we've provided just a smattering! Don't hesitate to write to us with any more you come across, or with any ideas for future lessons. ¡Hasta la próxima!

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Do you want to know how to form 'if clauses' in Spanish? The first thing you need to know is that the word "si" is the Spanish term we use for the English word "if". So, from now on, think of 'si clauses' as 'if clauses'. Let's dive into some of the grammar rules and different uses that define 'si clauses' in Spanish.

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The two parts of a conditional sentence with a 'si clause'

We use 'si clauses' when we want to form conditional sentences. In fact, all conditional sentences in Spanish have the following two parts:

1. The condition, expressed (in a subordinate or dependant clause) with the conditional "si" (the actual si clause/if clause), and

2. The main clause, which is the sentence that tells us what the result or consequence will be if the condition expressed by the si clause occurs.

Let's see an example:

Si llueve, nos mojamos.

If it rains, we get wet.

Caption 47, Ana Carolina - Condicionales

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In we take this example, we can easily see the two parts of that conditional sentence:

1. The condition with the si clause: Si llueve (If it rains)

2. The result clause: nos mojamos (we get wet)

When to use conditional 'si clauses' in Spanish

Just like with 'if clauses' in English, we use 'si clauses' in Spanish to talk about possibilities. Moreover, in Spanish, we have three different kinds of conditional sentences.

1. Conditional sentences with a likely result

We use these sentences to express things that are very likely to happen. In other words, if the condition occurs, the result will also occur. Let's see an example:

Si trabajas, tendrás dinero.

If you work, you'll have money.

Caption 56, Ana Carolina - Condicionales

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2. Conditional sentences with an unlikely result

We use this kind of 'si clauses' when the speaker has serious doubts about the condition and its potential result. Let's see an example:

Si me tocara la lotería, viajaría por todo el mundo,

If I won the lottery, I'd travel around the whole world,

y me alojaría en los hoteles más lujosos.

and I'd stay at the most luxurious hotels.

Captions 26-27, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: La segunda condicional

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3. Conditional sentences with an impossible result

Finally, we use these conditional sentences when we talk about a condition in the past that didn't occur, which means that it is impossible for the result to happen. Let's see an example:

Si hubiera estado sobrio, no me hubiera animado.

If I had been sober, I wouldn't have dared.

Caption 5, Yago - 12 Fianza

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The grammar behind conditional sentences with 'si clauses'

Now that we know the three main types of 'if clauses' in Spanish, let's see how to form each one of these types of conditional clauses.

1. Conditional sentences with a likely result

Condition: Si + present indicative

Result: present indicative OR future OR imperative

Let's look at an example:

Si sales, regresa temprano.

If you go out, come back early.

Caption 61, Ana Carolina - Condicionales

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Notice that the result is expressed using the imperative form regresa (come back).

2. Conditional sentences with an unlikely result

Condition: Si + past (imperfect) subjunctive

Result: Simple conditional

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Let's see the following example:

Si me encontrara un sobre con cincuenta mil euros,

If I found an envelope with fifty thousand euros,

lo cogería, claro. Y me compraría un coche descapotable.

I'd take it, of course. And I'd buy a convertible car.

Captions 21-23, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: La segunda condicional

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Notice that in this caption the result is expressed with the conditional forms cogería (I'd take it) and compraría (I'd buy).

3. Conditional sentences with an impossible result

Condition: Si + pluperfect subjunctive

Result: Past conditional

Let's see an example:

Si hubiera leído más, habría terminado el libro

If I had read more, I would have finished the book.

However, sometimes when the result clause refers to something that is still valid in the present, you can use the simple conditional instead of the past conditional. Let's see an example:

Es una pena; si hubiéramos firmado el contrato la semana pasada,

It's a shame; If we had signed the contract last week,

todo seguiría igual.

everything would stay the same.

Captions 22-23, Negocios - Problemas laborales

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Furthermore, in spoken Spanish it is common to use the pluperfect subjunctive in the result clause just like in the example we previously mentioned:

Si hubiera estado sobrio, no me hubiera animado.

If I had been sober, I wouldn't have dared.

Caption 5, Yago - 12 Fianza

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That's it for today. Are you ready to write some 'si clauses' in Spanish? We encourage you to write a couple of sentences for each one of the three types of conditional sentences we have covered in this lesson. And don't forget to send us your comments and questions.