The preterite of girar is used to express a specific instance of turning in the past, for example El coche giró bruscamente a la derecha (The car turned sharply to the right). This tense emphasizes the completed action of turning at a particular moment.

This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. The conjugation is straightforward and predictable.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Girar (to turn) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The preterite of girar describes a completed action of turning or rotating in the past.

To turn/rotate: Describes making a turning motion, for example Giré a la derecha en la esquina (I turned right at the corner) or La rueda giró rápidamente (The wheel turned quickly).

To revolve/spin: Used for rotating movement, for example El planeta giró sobre su eje (The planet revolved around its axis).

Examples

Examples of Girar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Giré a la derecha en la esquina. (I turned right at the corner.)

Giraste la llave en la cerradura. (You turned the key in the lock.)

El conductor giró bruscamente. (The driver turned sharply.)

Giramos en círculo durante el baile. (We turned in a circle during the dance.)

Las ruedas giraron en el barro. (The wheels turned in the mud.)

Giré la perilla de la puerta. (I turned the doorknob.)

Giraste el volante para estacionar. (You turned the steering wheel to park.)

El planeta giró sobre su eje. (The planet turned on its axis.)

Giramos la página del libro. (We turned the page of the book.)

Los bailarines giraron con gracia. (The dancers turned gracefully.)

Giré el dial de la radio. (I turned the radio dial.)

Giraste el mapa para orientarte. (You turned the map to orient yourself.)

La mariposa giró en el aire. (The butterfly turned in the air.)

Giramos a la izquierda en el semáforo. (We turned left at the traffic light.)

Los patinadores giraron sobre el hielo. (The skaters turned on the ice.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Girar (to turn) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.