The preterite of enseñar is used to express when you taught something at a specific point in time. For example, when you want to say “I taught Spanish for one semester” – “Enseñé español por un semestre.”
This verb follows the regular -ar conjugation pattern in the preterite tense. Despite the ñ in the stem, it conjugates completely regularly with no spelling changes needed.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Enseñar (to teach) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | enseñé |
| Tú | enseñaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | enseñó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | enseñamos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | enseñasteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | enseñaron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Enseñar (to teach) 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 Enseñar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of enseñar expresses completed acts of teaching.
To teach (completed action): Describes specific instances of instruction, for example Enseñé matemáticas por diez años (I taught mathematics for ten years), or Me enseñó a conducir (She taught me to drive).
To show/demonstrate: Indicates displaying or demonstrating something, for example Enseñaron sus diplomas (They showed their diplomas).
Examples
Examples of Enseñar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Enseñé matemáticas durante cinco años. (I taught mathematics for five years.)
Mi padre me enseñó a conducir. (My father taught me how to drive.)
¿Le enseñaste las fotos a tu abuela? (Did you show the photos to your grandmother?)
Enseñamos el nuevo proyecto al cliente. (We showed the new project to the client.)
Los maestros enseñaron valores importantes. (The teachers taught important values.)
Mi hermano me enseñó a nadar. (My brother taught me how to swim.)
Enseñaste mucha paciencia ese día. (You showed a lot of patience that day.)
El guía nos enseñó la ciudad. (The guide showed us the city.)
Enseñamos nuestro trabajo en la exposición. (We showed our work at the exhibition.)
Los abuelos enseñaron sus tradiciones. (The grandparents taught their traditions.)
Enseñé mis dibujos en la galería. (I showed my drawings at the gallery.)
¿Quién te enseñó a cocinar? (Who taught you how to cook?)
El artista enseñó su nueva colección. (The artist showed their new collection.)
Enseñamos el camino a los turistas. (We showed the way to the tourists.)
Los expertos enseñaron nuevas técnicas. (The experts taught new techniques.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Enseñar (to teach) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo enseñé | I taught |
| Tú enseñaste | You taught |
| Él / Ella / Usted enseñó | He / She / You (formal) taught |
| Nosotros / Nosotras enseñamos | We taught |
| Vosotros / Vosotras enseñasteis | You all taught |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes enseñaron | They / You all (formal) taught |
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.