The preterite of ahorrar is used to express when you saved something (usually money) during a specific period in the past. For example, “I saved enough money for the trip last summer” – “Ahorré suficiente dinero para el viaje el verano pasado.”
This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. All forms are predictable and follow the regular endings for -ar verbs in the preterite tense.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Ahorrar (to save) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | ahorré |
| Tú | ahorraste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | ahorró |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | ahorramos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | ahorrasteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | ahorraron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Ahorrar (to save) 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 Ahorrar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of ahorrar indicates specific instances of saving or conserving.
To save (money): Used for saving financial resources, for example Ahorré bastante dinero el año pasado (I saved quite a bit of money last year), or Ahorraron para comprar casa (They saved to buy a house).
To conserve/spare: Describes conserving resources or effort, for example Ahorró energía apagando las luces (She saved energy by turning off the lights).
Examples
Examples of Ahorrar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Ahorré suficiente para comprar un carro nuevo. (I saved enough to buy a new car.)
¿Cuánto dinero ahorraste el mes pasado? (How much money did you save last month?)
La familia ahorró durante años para la casa. (The family saved for years for the house.)
Ahorramos tiempo usando el atajo. (We saved time by using the shortcut.)
Los empleados ahorraron energía apagando las luces. (The employees saved energy by turning off the lights.)
Ahorré bastante en las rebajas. (I saved a lot during the sales.)
¿Por qué no ahorraste para las vacaciones? (Why didn’t you save for the vacation?)
La empresa ahorró millones con el nuevo sistema. (The company saved millions with the new system.)
Ahorramos agua durante la sequía. (We saved water during the drought.)
Los estudiantes ahorraron para el viaje escolar. (The students saved for the school trip.)
Ahorré muchos problemas al ser honesto. (I saved many problems by being honest.)
Ahorraste tiempo preparándolo de antemano. (You saved time by preparing it in advance.)
El gobierno ahorró recursos con la nueva política. (The government saved resources with the new policy.)
Ahorramos espacio con los muebles nuevos. (We saved space with the new furniture.)
Los científicos ahorraron años de investigación. (The scientists saved years of research.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Ahorrar (to save) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo ahorré | I saved |
| Tú ahorraste | You saved |
| Él / Ella / Usted ahorró | He / She / You (formal) saved |
| Nosotros / Nosotras ahorramos | We saved |
| Vosotros / Vosotras ahorrasteis | You all saved |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes ahorraron | They / You all (formal) saved |
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.