The preterite of permitir is used to express when permission was given at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “My parents allowed me to go to the party” – “Mis padres me permitieron ir a la fiesta.”
This verb follows the regular -ir conjugation pattern in the preterite tense, with regular endings and no stem changes required.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Permitir (to allow) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | permití |
| Tú | permitiste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | permitió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | permitimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | permitisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | permitieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Permitir (to allow) 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 Permitir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of permitir indicates completed actions of allowing or permitting.
To allow/permit: Used for giving permission, for example Me permitió salir temprano (He allowed me to leave early), or Permitieron el cambio (They permitted the change).
To enable: Describes making something possible, for example El buen tiempo permitió el evento (The good weather enabled the event).
Examples
Examples of Permitir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
El profesor nos permitió entregar el trabajo tarde. (The teacher allowed us to turn in the work late.)
No me permitieron entrar sin identificación. (They didn’t allow me to enter without ID.)
¿Te permitieron salir temprano? (Did they allow you to leave early?)
Los padres le permitieron ir a la fiesta. (The parents allowed him to go to the party.)
Me permitiste usar tu computadora. (You allowed me to use your computer.)
Permitimos que los niños jugaran en el jardín. (We allowed the children to play in the garden.)
El clima no permitió que el avión despegara. (The weather didn’t allow the plane to take off.)
¿Por qué le permitiste hacer eso? (Why did you allow him to do that?)
El jefe me permitió trabajar desde casa. (The boss allowed me to work from home.)
No les permitimos fumar dentro del edificio. (We didn’t allow them to smoke inside the building.)
La situación no permitió una solución rápida. (The situation didn’t allow for a quick solution.)
Permitieron el acceso solo a personal autorizado. (They allowed access only to authorized personnel.)
Me permitió explicar mi versión de los hechos. (He allowed me to explain my version of events.)
No me permitiste terminar de hablar. (You didn’t allow me to finish speaking.)
Les permitieron quedarse hasta tarde. (They allowed them to stay late.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Permitir (to allow) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo permití | I allowed |
| Tú permitiste | You allowed |
| Él / Ella / Usted permitió | He / She / You (formal) allowed |
| Nosotros / Nosotras permitimos | We allowed |
| Vosotros / Vosotras permitisteis | You all allowed |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes permitieron | They / You all (formal) allowed |
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.