Complete Spanish Verb Course

7.4. Spanish Preterite: Irregular Dar, Ir, and Ser
2 Topics
Instruction: Spanish Preterite Irregular Dar, Ir, and Ser
Conjugation Practice: Spanish Preterite Irregular Dar, Ir, and Ser
7.5. Spanish Preterite: Irregular e to i, o to u
2 Topics
Instruction: Spanish Preterite – Irregular e to i, o to u, i to y
Conjugation Practice: Spanish Preterite – Irregular e to i, o to u, i to y
7.6. Spanish Preterite: Irregular car, gar, zar
2 Topics
Instruction: Spanish Preterite – Irregular car, gar, zar
Conjugation Practice: Spanish Preterite – Irregular car, gar, zar
7.4.-7.6. Mini Brain Boost: Dar/Ir/Ser, Stem Changes, car/gar/zar
2 Topics | 1 Quiz
Retrieval Conjugation: Dar/Ir/Ser, Stem Changes, car/gar/zar
Interleaved Game: Dar/Ir/Ser, Stem Changes, car/gar/zar
Interleaved Sentence Quiz: Dar/Ir/Ser, Stem Changes, car/gar/zar
7.7. Spanish Reflexive Preterite Verbs
2 Topics
Instruction: Spanish Preterite – Reflexive Verbs
Conjugation Practice: Spanish Preterite – Reflexive Verbs
Brain Boost: Present, Preterite, Present Perfect
Retrieval Practice: Spanish Present, Preterite, Present Perfect
3 Topics
Review: Spanish Present, Preterite, Present Perfect
Conjugator Retrieval: Spanish Present, Preterite, Present Perfect
Conjugator Retrieval: All Spanish Tenses to this Point (2-7)
Interleaving: Spanish Present, Preterite, Present Perfect
2 Topics | 1 Quiz
Interleaved Game: Spanish Present, Preterite, and Present Perfect
Interleaved Game: All Spanish Tenses to this Point (2-7)
Interleaved Sentence Quiz: All Spanish Tenses to this Point (2-7)
Section 8: Spanish Imperfect Tense
8.1. Spanish Imperfect tense: Regular
2 Topics
Instruction: Spanish Imperfect Tense – Regular
Conjugation Practice: Spanish Imperfect Tense – Regular
8.2. Spanish Imperfect tense: Irregular
2 Topics
Instruction: Spanish Imperfect Tense – Irregular
Conjugation Practice: Spanish Imperfect Tense – Irregular
8.3. Spanish Imperfect tense: Reflexive
2 Topics
Instruction: Spanish Imperfect Tense – Reflexive
Conjugation Practice: Spanish Imperfect Tense – Reflexive
Brain Boost: Spanish Preterite and Imperfect
Preterite and Imperfect Together
1 Topic
Instruction: Preterite and Imperfect Together
Retrieval Practice: Preterite, Imperfect, and Others
3 Topics
Review: Preterite and Imperfect
Conjugator Retrieval: Preterite, Imperfect and Present Perfect
Conjugator Retrieval: All Spanish Tenses to this Point (2-8)
Interleaving: Preterite, Imperfect, and All Others
2 Topics | 1 Quiz
Interleaved Game: Preterite and Imperfect
Interleaved Game: All Spanish Tenses to this Point (2-8)
Interleaved Sentence Quiz: All Spanish Tenses to this Point (2-8)
Section 9: Spanish Future Tense
9.1 Spanish Future Tense: Regular Verbs
2 Topics
Instruction: Spanish Future Tense – Regular
Conjugation Practice: Spanish Future Tense – Regular
9.2 Spanish Future Tense: Irregular Verbs
2 Topics
Instruction: Spanish Future Tense – Irregular
Conjugation Practice: Spanish Future Tense – Irregular
9.3 Spanish Future Tense: Reflexive Verbs
2 Topics
Instruction: Spanish Future Tense – Reflexive
Conjugation Practice: Spanish Future Tense – Reflexive
9.4. Spanish Informal future (ir a + infinitive)
2 Topics
Instruction: Spanish Informal future (ir a + infinitive)
Conjugation Practice: Spanish Informal future (ir a + infinitive)
Brain Boost: Present, Preterite, Future
Retrieval Practice: Present, Preterite, Future
3 Topics
Review: Present, Preterite, and Future
Conjugator Retrieval: Present, Preterite, Future
Conjugator Retrieval: All Spanish Tenses to this Point (2-9)
Interleaving: Spanish Present, Preterite, and Future
2 Topics | 1 Quiz
Interleaved Game: Spanish Present, Preterite, and Future
Interleaved Game: All Spanish Tenses to this Point (2-9)
Interleaved Sentence Quiz: All Spanish Tenses to this Point (2-9)
Section 10: Spanish Conditional Tense
10.1 Spanish Conditional Tense: Regular Verbs
2 Topics
Instruction: Spanish Conditional Tense – Regular
Conjugation Practice: Spanish Conditional Tense – Regular
4 of 8
Previous Lesson
Next Topic

Instruction: Spanish Preterite Irregular Dar, Ir, and Ser

Complete Spanish Verb Course 7.4. Spanish Preterite: Irregular Dar, Ir, and Ser Instruction: Spanish Preterite Irregular Dar, Ir, and Ser

In Spanish, the verbs dar (to give), ir (to go), and ser (to be) have unique irregular conjugations in the preterite tense. Unlike regular verbs or even other irregular stem-changing verbs, these verbs do not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually. However, once you learn their forms, you’ll notice that ir and ser share the same conjugation in the preterite, which simplifies things a bit.

Conjugation of Dar in the Preterite Tense

Dar is unique because it takes the preterite endings typically associated with -er and -ir verbs, but without the accent marks that are usually present in the first and third person singular forms.

Conjugation of “Dar”:

Yo

di

I gave

Nosotros

dimos

we gave

Tú

(Juana, Juan)

diste

you gave

Vosotros

(informal Spain)

disteis

you all gave

Él/Ella/Ud.

(Sra./Dr. García)

dio

he/she/you gave

Ellos/Ellas/Uds.

dieron

they/you all gave

Examples:

  • Yo di un regalo a mi amigo. (I gave a gift to my friend.)
  • Ellos dieron su opinión sobre el proyecto. (They gave their opinion on the project.)

Conjugation of Ir and Ser in the Preterite Tense

Interestingly, the verbs ir (to go) and ser (to be) share the exact same conjugation in the preterite tense. The meaning of the verb is determined by the context in which it is used.

Conjugation of “Ir” and “Ser”:

Yo

fui

I went/was

Nosotros

fuimos

we went/were

Tú

(Juana, Juan)

fuiste

you went/were

Vosotros

(informal Spain)

fuisteis

you all went/were

Él/Ella/Ud.

(Sra./Dr. García)

fue

he/she/you went/were

Ellos/Ellas/Uds.

fueron

they/you all went/were

Examples of “Ir” (to go):

  • Yo fui al cine anoche. (I went to the movies last night.)
  • Nosotros fuimos a la playa el fin de semana pasado. (We went to the beach last weekend.)

Examples of “Ser” (to be):

  • Él fue presidente de la clase. (He was the class president.)
  • La reunión fue muy interesante. (The meeting was very interesting.)
Summary and Tips
  • Dar follows a pattern similar to -er and -ir verbs but without accent marks.
  • Ir and Ser share the same preterite forms, so you’ll need to rely on context to determine the meaning.
Conclusion

Mastering the preterite forms of dar, ir, and ser is essential for communicating effectively about past events in Spanish. These verbs are frequently used in everyday conversation, so knowing their unique conjugations will help you express yourself more clearly and accurately. Keep practicing these forms to build your confidence and fluency!

Previous Lesson
Back to Lesson
Next Topic