The preterite of describir is used to express when you described something at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “She described the incident to the police” – “Ella describió el incidente a la policía.”
This verb follows the regular -ir conjugation pattern in the preterite tense. Though it starts with ‘des-‘, it conjugates completely regularly with no spelling changes needed.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Describir (to describe) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | describí |
| Tú | describiste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | describió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | describimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | describisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | describieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Describir (to describe) 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 Describir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of describir expresses completed acts of describing.
To describe (completed action): Used for giving descriptions, for example Describí la situación al detective (I described the situation to the detective), or Describieron el accidente en detalle (They described the accident in detail).
To portray/depict: Indicates representing something through words, for example El autor describió perfectamente la época (The author perfectly described the era).
Examples
Examples of Describir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Describí la situación al detective. (I described the situation to the detective.)
El testigo describió al sospechoso. (The witness described the suspect.)
¿Cómo describiste el problema? (How did you describe the problem?)
Describimos nuestras experiencias en el blog. (We described our experiences in the blog.)
Los científicos describieron el nuevo descubrimiento. (The scientists described the new discovery.)
El autor describió la escena perfectamente. (The author described the scene perfectly.)
Describiste muy bien tus síntomas al doctor. (You described your symptoms to the doctor very well.)
Describí el accidente a la policía. (I described the accident to the police.)
Describieron el paisaje con gran detalle. (They described the landscape in great detail.)
Describimos el proyecto a los inversores. (We described the project to the investors.)
El artista describió su proceso creativo. (The artist described their creative process.)
Describiste la casa de tus sueños. (You described your dream house.)
El periódico describió los eventos del día. (The newspaper described the day’s events.)
Describimos la ruta al conductor. (We described the route to the driver.)
Los viajeros describieron sus aventuras. (The travelers described their adventures.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Describir (to describe) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo describí | I described |
| Tú describiste | You described |
| Él / Ella / Usted describió | He / She / You (formal) described |
| Nosotros / Nosotras describimos | We described |
| Vosotros / Vosotras describisteis | You all described |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes describieron | They / You all (formal) described |
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.