The preterite of emigrar is used to express when someone emigrated at a specific moment or period in the past. For example, when you want to say “My grandparents emigrated to this country in 1950” – “Mis abuelos emigraron a este país en 1950.”
This verb follows the regular -ar conjugation pattern in the preterite tense. All forms follow the standard pattern without any stem changes.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Emigrar (to emigrate) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | emigré |
| Tú | emigraste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | emigró |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | emigramos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | emigrasteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | emigraron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Emigrar (to emigrate) 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 Emigrar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of emigrar expresses completed acts of emigration.
To emigrate: Describes permanently leaving one’s country, for example Emigré cuando era joven (I emigrated when I was young), or Emigraron por razones económicas (They emigrated for economic reasons).
To relocate: Refers to moving to a new place permanently, for example Emigró a la costa (She relocated to the coast).
Examples
Examples of Emigrar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Mi familia emigró a los Estados Unidos en 1995. (My family emigrated to the United States in 1995.)
Emigré en busca de mejores oportunidades. (I emigrated in search of better opportunities.)
¿Cuándo emigraste de tu país? (When did you emigrate from your country?)
Muchas personas emigraron durante la crisis. (Many people emigrated during the crisis.)
Emigramos juntos hace diez años. (We emigrated together ten years ago.)
Mi abuelo emigró después de la guerra. (My grandfather emigrated after the war.)
La familia entera emigró a Europa. (The entire family emigrated to Europe.)
Emigraste muy joven de tu ciudad natal. (You emigrated very young from your hometown.)
Miles de personas emigraron por razones económicas. (Thousands of people emigrated for economic reasons.)
Emigré sin conocer el idioma. (I emigrated without knowing the language.)
Sus padres emigraron antes de que él naciera. (His parents emigrated before he was born.)
Emigramos en busca de paz y seguridad. (We emigrated in search of peace and security.)
La comunidad entera emigró debido a la sequía. (The entire community emigrated due to the drought.)
Emigraron a un país desconocido. (They emigrated to an unknown country.)
Emigró para estudiar en el extranjero. (He/she emigrated to study abroad.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Emigrar (to emigrate) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo emigré | I emigrated |
| Tú emigraste | You emigrated |
| Él / Ella / Usted emigró | He / She / You (formal) emigrated |
| Nosotros / Nosotras emigramos | We emigrated |
| Vosotros / Vosotras emigrasteis | You all emigrated |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes emigraron | They / You all (formal) emigrated |
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.