The preterite of hacer is used to express when you did or made something specific in the past. For example, you might say “I made dinner last night,” indicating a completed action at a particular time.
This is an irregular verb in the preterite tense. It undergoes a stem change to ‘hic-‘ in most forms, with a special form ‘hizo’ in the third person singular.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Hacer (to do/make) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | hice |
| Tú | hiciste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | hizo |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | hicimos |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | hicieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Hacer (to do/make) 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 Hacer in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The preterite of hacer expresses completed actions or accomplishments.
Did/Made: Indicates completing a task or creating something, for example Hice la tarea anoche (I did the homework last night). Also used for making things, as in Hizo un pastel delicioso (He/she made a delicious cake).
Caused/Created: Describes causing something to happen, for example Su comentario hizo que todos rieran (His/her comment made everyone laugh).
Examples
Examples of Hacer in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Hice la tarea anoche. (I did the homework last night.)
¿Qué hiciste el fin de semana? (What did you do on the weekend?)
Mi madre hizo una torta deliciosa. (My mother made a delicious cake.)
Hicimos un viaje a la playa. (We took a trip to the beach.)
Los estudiantes hicieron un proyecto especial. (The students did a special project.)
Hice ejercicio esta mañana. (I exercised this morning.)
¿Hiciste la cama hoy? (Did you make the bed today?)
El chef hizo un platillo exquisito. (The chef made an exquisite dish.)
Hicimos una fiesta sorpresa. (We threw a surprise party.)
Los niños hicieron un muñeco de nieve. (The children made a snowman.)
Hice una llamada importante. (I made an important call.)
¿Qué hiciste con mi libro? (What did you do with my book?)
El artista hizo una obra maestra. (The artist made a masterpiece.)
Hicimos las compras del mes. (We did the monthly shopping.)
Los arquitectos hicieron un diseño innovador. (The architects made an innovative design.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Hacer (to do/make) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo hice | I did |
| Tú hiciste | You did |
| Él / Ella / Usted hizo | He / She / You did |
| Nosotros / Nosotras hicimos | We did |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes hicieron | They / You all did |
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.