The preterite of ganar is used to express when someone won or earned something at a specific moment in the past. For example, you might say “I won the competition last week,” indicating a specific achievement.
This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. The conjugations are straightforward and predictable.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Ganar (to win/earn) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | gané |
| Tú | ganaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | ganó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | ganamos |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | ganaron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Ganar (to win/earn) 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 Ganar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of ganar expresses a specific instance of winning or earning in the past.
To win: Refers to achieving victory, for example Ganó la competencia fácilmente (He won the competition easily).
To earn money: Used for receiving payment or profit, for example Ganamos mucho en ese proyecto (We earned a lot on that project).
Examples
Examples of Ganar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Gané el primer premio. (I won first prize.)
¿Cuánto ganaste en el trabajo? (How much did you earn at work?)
El equipo ganó el campeonato. (The team won the championship.)
Ganamos el partido de fútbol. (We won the soccer game.)
Los estudiantes ganaron la competencia. (The students won the competition.)
Gané mucha experiencia en ese trabajo. (I gained a lot of experience in that job.)
¿Ganaste la lotería? (Did you win the lottery?)
La empresa ganó un contrato importante. (The company won an important contract.)
Ganamos el debate escolar. (We won the school debate.)
Los artistas ganaron un premio importante. (The artists won an important award.)
Gané suficiente para comprar un carro. (I earned enough to buy a car.)
¿Cuánto ganaste en las apuestas? (How much did you win in the bets?)
Ella ganó la beca. (She won the scholarship.)
Ganamos el respeto de todos. (We earned everyone’s respect.)
Los atletas ganaron medallas de oro. (The athletes won gold medals.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Ganar (to win/earn) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo gané | I won |
| Tú ganaste | You won |
| Él / Ella / Usted ganó | He / She / You won |
| Nosotros / Nosotras ganamos | We won |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes ganaron | They / You all won |
This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.