Understanding the AR, ER, IR Verbs in Spanish Preterite

When learning Spanish, mastering the preterite tense is crucial. One of the key aspects of this tense is understanding the irregular verbs, which are categorized into three groups: AR, ER, and IR verbs. In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of these verbs, providing you with a comprehensive guide to using them correctly in the preterite tense.

What are AR, ER, and IR Verbs?

AR, ER, and IR verbs are irregular verbs in Spanish that follow specific conjugation patterns in the preterite tense. These verbs are called irregular because their endings do not follow the standard conjugation rules that apply to regular verbs. Instead, they have unique endings that change according to the subject pronoun.

Conjugation Patterns

Let’s take a closer look at the conjugation patterns for AR, ER, and IR verbs in the preterite tense:

As you can see, the endings of AR, ER, and IR verbs change according to the subject pronoun. For example, the AR verb “comer” (to eat) conjugates to “com铆” (I ate), “comiste” (you ate), “comi贸” (he/she/it ate), “comimos” (we ate), “comisteis” (you all ate), and “comieron” (they ate).

Common AR, ER, and IR Verbs

Here are some common AR, ER, and IR verbs that you should be familiar with in the preterite tense:

• AR Verbs:
• comer (to eat)
• hablar (to talk)
• ser (to be)
• ir (to go)
• ver (to see)

• ER Verbs:
• hablar (to talk)
• decir (to say)
• ir (to go)
• venir (to come)
• salir (to leave)

• IR Verbs:
• ir (to go)
• venir (to come)
• decir (to say)
• ser (to be)
• estar (to be)

Using AR, ER, and IR Verbs in Sentences

Now that you have a basic understanding of AR, ER, and IR verbs in the preterite tense, let’s see how to use them in sentences:

Example 1:

Yo com铆 una manzana.

I ate an apple.

Example