The preterite of mirar is used to express a specific instance of looking at or watching something in the past. For example, you might say “I watched the sunset last evening,” indicating a completed viewing experience.

This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. The endings are straightforward and predictable, making it easy to learn and use.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Mirar (to look at/watch) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The Preterite of mirar indicates a completed action of looking at something.

Looking: Used for directing one’s gaze, for example miré el reloj (I looked at the clock).

Watching: Describes viewing something completely, for example miramos la película (we watched the movie).

Examples

Examples of Mirar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Miré las estrellas toda la noche. (I looked at the stars all night.)

¿Miraste el nuevo programa ayer? (Did you watch the new show yesterday?)

Ella miró por la ventana pensativa. (She looked thoughtfully through the window.)

Miramos el partido juntos. (We watched the game together.)

Los turistas miraron el atardecer. (The tourists watched the sunset.)

Miré el reloj preocupado. (I looked at the clock worriedly.)

¿Por qué me miraste así? (Why did you look at me like that?)

El doctor miró la radiografía con atención. (The doctor looked at the X-ray carefully.)

Miramos el mapa antes de salir. (We looked at the map before leaving.)

Los niños miraron asombrados los fuegos artificiales. (The children watched the fireworks in amazement.)

Miré la foto antigua con nostalgia. (I looked at the old photo with nostalgia.)

¿Miraste el documental que te recomendé? (Did you watch the documentary I recommended?)

El artista miró su obra terminada. (The artist looked at his finished work.)

Miramos el eclipse con gafas especiales. (We watched the eclipse with special glasses.)

Todos miraron al escenario cuando comenzó la obra. (Everyone looked at the stage when the play began.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Mirar (to look at/watch) 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.