The preterite of esconder is used to express when you hid something at a specific moment in the past. For example, “I hid the presents before the party” – “Escondí los regalos antes de la fiesta.”
This verb follows the regular -er conjugation pattern in the preterite tense. It maintains consistent endings without any stem changes or spelling adjustments.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Esconder (to hide) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | escondí |
| Tú | escondiste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | escondió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | escondimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | escondisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | escondieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Esconder (to hide) 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 Esconder in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of esconder indicates completed actions of hiding something.
To hide (something): Used for concealing objects or information, for example Escondí las llaves en el jardín (I hid the keys in the garden), or Escondieron la verdad (They hid the truth).
To conceal/keep secret: Describes deliberately keeping something from being known, for example Escondió sus sentimientos (She hid her feelings).
Examples
Examples of Esconder in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Escondí el regalo en el armario. (I hid the gift in the closet.)
¿Dónde escondiste las llaves? (Where did you hide the keys?)
El niño escondió sus juguetes. (The child hid his toys.)
Escondimos la sorpresa muy bien. (We hid the surprise very well.)
Los ladrones escondieron el botín. (The thieves hid the loot.)
¿Por qué escondiste la verdad? (Why did you hide the truth?)
Se escondió detrás del árbol. (He/she hid behind the tree.)
Escondimos los documentos importantes. (We hid the important documents.)
El gato escondió su comida. (The cat hid its food.)
Escondieron las evidencias. (They hid the evidence.)
Escondí mi diario personal. (I hid my personal diary.)
¿Dónde se escondieron durante el juego? (Where did they hide during the game?)
Escondió sus sentimientos por mucho tiempo. (He/she hid their feelings for a long time.)
Escondimos el tesoro en el jardín. (We hid the treasure in the garden.)
Los niños se escondieron durante el juego. (The children hid during the game.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Esconder (to hide) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo escondí | I hid |
| Tú escondiste | You hid |
| Él / Ella / Usted escondió | He / She / You (formal) hid |
| Nosotros / Nosotras escondimos | We hid |
| Vosotros / Vosotras escondisteis | You all hid |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes escondieron | They / You all (formal) hid |
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.