The preterite of andar is used to express when someone walked or went around for a specific period in the past. For example, “We walked through the entire city” – “Anduvimos por toda la ciudad.”
This is an irregular verb in the preterite tense. The stem changes completely to ‘anduv-‘ in all forms, making it one of the important irregular verbs to memorize.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Andar (to walk) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | anduve |
| Tú | anduviste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | anduvo |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | anduvimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | anduvisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | anduvieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Andar (to walk) 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 Andar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of andar expresses specific instances of walking or getting around.
To walk/go (specific distance/time): Used for completed journeys, for example Anduve cinco kilómetros (I walked five kilometers).
To be/hang around: Describes spending time somewhere, for example Anduvieron por el centro (They went around downtown).
Examples
Examples of Andar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Anduve todo el día por el centro. (I walked around downtown all day.)
¿Cuánto tiempo anduviste buscando las llaves? (How long did you spend looking for the keys?)
El perro anduvo perdido por tres días. (The dog wandered lost for three days.)
Anduvimos por el parque toda la tarde. (We walked through the park all afternoon.)
Los turistas anduvieron por la ciudad antigua. (The tourists walked through the old city.)
Anduve preocupado toda la semana. (I was worried all week.)
Anduviste muy distraído últimamente. (You were very distracted lately.)
El gato anduvo por el tejado. (The cat walked on the roof.)
Anduvimos cinco kilómetros. (We walked five kilometers.)
Los niños anduvieron jugando en el jardín. (The children were playing in the garden.)
Anduve buscando trabajo por meses. (I spent months looking for work.)
¿Dónde anduviste ayer? (Where were you yesterday?)
La noticia anduvo de boca en boca. (The news went from mouth to mouth.)
Anduvimos perdidos en el bosque. (We were lost in the forest.)
Los rumores anduvieron por toda la oficina. (Rumors went around the whole office.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Andar (to walk) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo anduve | I walked |
| Tú anduviste | You walked |
| Él / Ella / Usted anduvo | He / She / You (formal) walked |
| Nosotros / Nosotras anduvimos | We walked |
| Vosotros / Vosotras anduvisteis | You all walked |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes anduvieron | They / You all (formal) walked |
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.