The preterite of cumplir is used to express when someone fulfilled an obligation or completed something at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “I fulfilled my promise yesterday” – “Cumplí mi promesa ayer.”
This verb follows the regular -ir conjugation pattern in the preterite tense, with regular endings and no stem changes required.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Cumplir (to fulfill/complete) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | cumplí |
| Tú | cumpliste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | cumplió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | cumplimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | cumplisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | cumplieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Cumplir (to fulfill/complete) 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 Cumplir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of cumplir expresses completed acts of fulfilling obligations or reaching milestones.
To fulfill/complete: Used for finishing tasks or meeting requirements, for example Cumplí con todas mis obligaciones (I fulfilled all my obligations), or Cumplieron el contrato (They fulfilled the contract).
To have a birthday: In common usage, refers to reaching an age, for example Cumplió quince años (She turned fifteen).
Examples
Examples of Cumplir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Cumplí mi promesa de viajar a París. (I fulfilled my promise to travel to Paris.)
El proyecto cumplió todas las expectativas. (The project met all expectations.)
¿Cumpliste con el plazo de entrega? (Did you meet the delivery deadline?)
Cumplimos todos los objetivos del trimestre. (We met all the quarter’s objectives.)
Mi hijo cumplió cinco años ayer. (My son turned five years old yesterday.)
Los empleados cumplieron con sus responsabilidades. (The employees fulfilled their responsibilities.)
Cumplí mi sueño de ser médico. (I fulfilled my dream of becoming a doctor.)
El equipo cumplió con las metas establecidas. (The team met the established goals.)
¿Cumpliste con tu parte del trato? (Did you fulfill your part of the deal?)
Cumplimos veinte años de casados. (We reached twenty years of marriage.)
La empresa cumplió un siglo de existencia. (The company reached a century of existence.)
Cumplieron con todos los requisitos legales. (They complied with all legal requirements.)
Cumplí con mi deber como ciudadano. (I fulfilled my duty as a citizen.)
El contrato cumplió su vigencia. (The contract reached its expiration.)
Cumplieron su palabra de ayudarnos. (They kept their word to help us.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Cumplir (to fulfill/complete) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo cumplí | I fulfilled |
| Tú cumpliste | You fulfilled |
| Él / Ella / Usted cumplió | He / She / You (formal) fulfilled |
| Nosotros / Nosotras cumplimos | We fulfilled |
| Vosotros / Vosotras cumplisteis | You all fulfilled |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes cumplieron | They / You all (formal) fulfilled |
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.