The preterite of descubrir is used to express when you discovered something at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “I discovered a new restaurant yesterday” – “Descubrí un nuevo restaurante ayer.”
This verb follows the regular -ir conjugation pattern in the preterite tense, using standard -ir endings throughout all forms.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Descubrir (to discover) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | descubrí |
| Tú | descubriste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | descubrió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | descubrimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | descubristeis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | descubrieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Descubrir (to discover) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Descubrir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of descubrir expresses completed actions of discovering or uncovering.
To discover/find out: Used for moments of discovery, for example Descubrí un nuevo restaurante (I discovered a new restaurant), or Descubrieron la verdad (They discovered the truth).
To uncover/reveal: Indicates revealing hidden things, for example Descubrimos el secreto (We uncovered the secret).
Examples
Examples of Descubrir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Descubrí un nuevo restaurante en el barrio. (I discovered a new restaurant in the neighborhood.)
Los científicos descubrieron una nueva especie. (Scientists discovered a new species.)
¿Cuándo descubriste la verdad? (When did you discover the truth?)
Descubrimos un error en el informe. (We discovered an error in the report.)
Descubrió su pasión por la música. (He discovered his passion for music.)
Los arqueólogos descubrieron ruinas antiguas. (The archaeologists discovered ancient ruins.)
Descubriste el secreto por casualidad. (You discovered the secret by chance.)
Descubrí que tenía talento para pintar. (I discovered I had a talent for painting.)
Descubrimos una solución al problema. (We discovered a solution to the problem.)
La policía descubrió el escondite. (The police discovered the hideout.)
¿Cómo descubriste este lugar? (How did you discover this place?)
Descubrió una nueva forma de hacerlo. (She discovered a new way to do it.)
Descubrimos sus verdaderas intenciones. (We discovered their true intentions.)
Los investigadores descubrieron evidencia importante. (Researchers discovered important evidence.)
Descubrí mi vocación en la universidad. (I discovered my vocation at university.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Descubrir (to discover) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo descubrí | I discovered |
| Tú descubriste | You discovered |
| Él / Ella / Usted descubrió | He / She / You (formal) discovered |
| Nosotros / Nosotras descubrimos | We discovered |
| Vosotros / Vosotras descubristeis | You all discovered |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes descubrieron | They / You all (formal) discovered |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.