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Conjugation Chart

“Irse” (to go away/leave) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Irse”

The preterite of irse is used to express the moment of leaving or going away in the past. For example, you might say “I left the party at midnight,” indicating the specific time when you departed.

This is an irregular reflexive verb that uses the irregular forms of ‘ir’ (fui, fuiste, etc.) plus the reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos). It’s important to remember that this verb uses completely irregular forms in the preterite.

How to Use Irse in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The Preterite of irse expresses the definitive moment of departure or leaving.

Departure: Used for leaving a place, for example me fui de la fiesta (I left the party).

Abandonment: Can indicate leaving permanently, for example se fue del país (they left the country).

Real Life Examples of Irse in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Me fui temprano de la fiesta. (I left the party early.)

¿Por qué te fuiste sin despedirte? (Why did you leave without saying goodbye?)

Ella se fue a estudiar al extranjero. (She went abroad to study.)

Nos fuimos antes de la tormenta. (We left before the storm.)

Los turistas se fueron del hotel. (The tourists left the hotel.)

Me fui cuando comenzó a llover. (I left when it started raining.)

¿A qué hora te fuiste ayer? (What time did you leave yesterday?)

Mi hermano se fue a vivir a otra ciudad. (My brother went to live in another city.)

Nos fuimos de vacaciones por un mes. (We went on vacation for a month.)

Los pájaros se fueron al sur. (The birds went south.)

Me fui sin decir nada. (I left without saying anything.)

¿Te fuiste en taxi? (Did you leave by taxi?)

El tren se fue a tiempo. (The train left on time.)

Nos fuimos después del postre. (We left after dessert.)

Los invitados se fueron tarde. (The guests left late.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Irse (to go away/leave) in the Preterite (Past) 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.