The preterite of probar is used to express a completed action of trying or tasting something in the past. For example, you might say “I tried the new restaurant yesterday,” indicating a specific instance of testing or tasting.

This is a regular -ar verb in the preterite. While it undergoes stem changes in other tenses, it follows the regular pattern in the preterite without any stem changes.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Probar (to try/taste) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The preterite of probar expresses a completed action of trying or testing in the past.

To try/taste: Describes sampling food or drink, for example Probé la comida nueva (I tried the new food) or Probaron el vino (They tasted the wine).

To test/prove: Used for testing something or proving a point, for example Probó su inocencia en el tribunal (He/she proved their innocence in court).

To attempt: Refers to trying to do something, for example Probé suerte en el casino (I tried my luck at the casino).

Examples

Examples of Probar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Probé la comida típica del restaurante. (I tasted the restaurant’s traditional food.)

Probaste el pastel antes de servirlo. (You tried the cake before serving it.)

El chef probó la sopa antes de enviarla. (The chef tasted the soup before sending it.)

Probamos varios vinos en la cata. (We tried several wines at the tasting.)

Los jueces probaron todos los platillos. (The judges tasted all the dishes.)

Probé suerte en la lotería. (I tried my luck in the lottery.)

Probaste el nuevo sabor de helado. (You tried the new ice cream flavor.)

El atleta probó sus límites en la competencia. (The athlete tested their limits in the competition.)

Probamos el nuevo sistema de seguridad. (We tested the new security system.)

Los estudiantes probaron diferentes métodos de estudio. (The students tried different study methods.)

Probé hacer ejercicio por la mañana. (I tried exercising in the morning.)

Probaste la receta de tu abuela. (You tried your grandmother’s recipe.)

El músico probó el nuevo instrumento. (The musician tried the new instrument.)

Probamos vivir en el extranjero. (We tried living abroad.)

Los científicos probaron su teoría. (The scientists tested their theory.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Probar (to try/taste) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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.