17.1.1. Conjugation
The preterite past tense is used for actions that had a specific beginning or end, or actions that occurred a specific number of times.
| PRONOUN | -ARE | -ERE | -IRE |
|---|
| Èo | -ai | -ei | -íi / -í |
| Tu | -aste | -este | -iste |
| Elle / Ella | -au | -eu | -iu |
| Nós / Nosaltros / Nosaltras | -ammos | -emmos | -immos |
| Vós / Vosaltros / Vosaltras | -astes | -estes | -istes |
| Ellos / Ellas | -aron | -eron | -iron |
| PRONOUN | Parlare [To speak] | Apprèndere [To learn] | Partire [To depart] |
|---|
| Èo | Parlai | Apprendei | Partíi / Partí |
| Tu | Parlaste | Apprendeste | Partiste |
| Elle / Ella | Parlau | Apprendeu | Partiu |
| Nós / Nosaltros / Nosaltras | Parlammos | Apprendemmos | Partimmos |
| Vós / Vosaltros / Vosaltras | Parlastes | Apprendestes | Partistes |
| Ellos / Ellas | Parlaron | Apprenderon | Partiron |
17.1.2. Uses
| Use | Example(s) | Translation(s) |
|---|
| Actions with a clear beginning and end | 1. Mangîai un pomo.
2. Ella cantau en lo concèrto.
3. Fu un momènto diffícile. | 1. I ate an apple.
2. She sang in the concert.
3. It was a hard time |
| Finished actions that occurred at a specific moment in the past | 1. Legei un libro hère.
2. Vidi lo mesmo film doas veces. | 1. I read a book yesterday.
2. I saw the same movie two times. |
| Sequences of past actions | Primo mangîai, pòs partí. | First I ate, then I left. |
| Sudden changes | Devenei felice quando vidi lo resultato. | I was happy when I saw the result. |
17.1.3. Trigger Words
| Word(s) | Translation |
|---|
| Hère | Yesterday |
| Antehère | The day before yesterday |
| Lo anno passato | Last year |
| Lo mese passato | Last month |
| La septimana passata | Last week |
| Hère-nòcte | Last night |
| [Día] passato | Last [day of the week] |
| Face | Ago |
| En [anno] | In [year] |
| Cuesta mattina | This morning |
| Cuesta septimana | This week |
| Ja | Already |
| De repènte / Súbitamente | Suddenly |
17.1.4. Irregular Verbs
Recommended Irregular Verbs
These common irregular verbs are recommended because their forms are similar to the ones found in various Romance languages, making them easier to understand than other irregular verbs. Remember that the conjugations of verbs used in compound verbs (such as "fàcere") also apply to these compound verbs.
List of Recommended Irregular Verbs in the Preterite Past Tense
| Èssere (to be) |
|---|
| Èo | Fui |
| Tu | Foste / Fuste |
| Elle / Ella | Fou / Fu |
| Nós | Fommos / Fummos |
| Vós | Fostes / Fustes |
| Ellos / Ellas | Foron / Furon |
| Dícere (to say) |
|---|
| Èo | Dixi |
| Tu | Dixeste |
| Elle / Ella | Dixe |
| Nós | Dixemos |
| Vós | Dixestes |
| Ellos / Ellas | Dixeron |
| Fàcere (to do) |
|---|
| Èo | Feci |
| Tu | Feceste |
| Elle / Ella | Fece |
| Nós | Fécemos |
| Vós | Fecestes |
| Ellos / Ellas | Féceron |
| Vedere (to see) |
|---|
| Èo | Vidi |
| Tu | Videste |
| Elle / Ella | Vide |
| Nós | Vídemos |
| Vós | Videstes |
| Ellos / Ellas | Víderon |
| Pónere (to put) |
|---|
| Èo | Posi |
| Tu | Poseste |
| Elle / Ella | Pose |
| Nós | Posemos |
| Vós | Posestes |
| Ellos / Ellas | Poseron |
| Venire (to come) |
|---|
| Èo | Veni |
| Tu | Veniste |
| Elle / Ella | Vene |
| Nós | Vénimos |
| Vós | Venistes |
| Ellos / Ellas | Véneron |
| -dúcere |
|---|
| Èo | -duxi |
| Tu | -duxeste |
| Elle / Ella | -duxe |
| Nós | -duxemos |
| Vós | -duxestes |
| Ellos / Ellas | -duxeron |
| Tràgere (to drag) |
|---|
| Èo | Traxi |
| Tu | Traxeste |
| Elle / Ella | Traxe |
| Nós | Traxemos |
| Vós | Traxestes |
| Ellos / Ellas | Traxeron |
Other Irregular Verbs
Other Irregular Verbs in the Preterite Past Tense