The preterite of ir is used to express when you went somewhere at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “I went to the store yesterday” – “Fui a la tienda ayer.”
This is an irregular verb in the preterite tense. It uses the same forms as the preterite of ser (fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron), making context essential for understanding the meaning.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Ir (to go) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | fui |
| Tú | fuiste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | fue |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | fuimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | fuisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | fueron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Ir (to go) 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 Ir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of ir expresses completed journeys or trips.
To go: Describes completed movement to a destination, for example Fui al mercado (I went to the market), or Fueron a la playa (They went to the beach).
To attend: Used for attending events, for example Fuimos al concierto (We went to the concert).
Examples
Examples of Ir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Fui al cine ayer. (I went to the movies yesterday.)
¿Fuiste a la fiesta? (Did you go to the party?)
María fue al médico esta mañana. (Maria went to the doctor this morning.)
Fuimos de vacaciones a la playa. (We went on vacation to the beach.)
Los niños fueron al parque. (The children went to the park.)
¿Por qué no fuiste a trabajar? (Why didn’t you go to work?)
Fue un placer conocerte. (It was a pleasure to meet you.)
Fuimos al concierto juntos. (We went to the concert together.)
¿Dónde fueron después de la cena? (Where did they go after dinner?)
Fui a visitar a mis abuelos. (I went to visit my grandparents.)
El año pasado fueron a Europa. (Last year they went to Europe.)
Fuiste muy amable en ayudarme. (You were very kind to help me.)
Fue a comprar el pan. (He/she went to buy bread.)
Fuimos a la biblioteca a estudiar. (We went to the library to study.)
¿Fueron ustedes al museo? (Did you all go to the museum?)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Ir (to go) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo fui | I went |
| Tú fuiste | You went |
| Él / Ella / Usted fue | He / She / You (formal) went |
| Nosotros / Nosotras fuimos | We went |
| Vosotros / Vosotras fuisteis | You all went |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes fueron | They / You all (formal) went |
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.