The preterite of nacer is used to express when someone was born or when something came into existence in the past. For example, you might say “I was born in Madrid,” indicating the specific event of birth.
This is a regular -er verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. Despite its unique meaning, it conjugates predictably in the preterite tense.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Nacer (to be born) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | nací |
| Tú | naciste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | nació |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | nacimos |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | nacieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Nacer (to be born) 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 Nacer in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The preterite of nacer describes the completed action of being born in the past.
To be born: Describes the moment of birth, for example Nací en Madrid (I was born in Madrid) or El bebé nació ayer (The baby was born yesterday).
To arise/emerge: Used figuratively for the beginning of something, for example Así nació nuestra amistad (That’s how our friendship was born).
Examples
Examples of Nacer in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Nací en un pequeño pueblo. (I was born in a small town.)
Naciste en primavera. (You were born in spring.)
El bebé nació a medianoche. (The baby was born at midnight.)
Nacimos en el mismo hospital. (We were born in the same hospital.)
Los gemelos nacieron con cinco minutos de diferencia. (The twins were born five minutes apart.)
Nací durante una tormenta. (I was born during a storm.)
Naciste en un día festivo. (You were born on a holiday.)
La estrella nació hace millones de años. (The star was born millions of years ago.)
Nacimos en diferentes países. (We were born in different countries.)
Los gatitos nacieron esta mañana. (The kittens were born this morning.)
Nací en una familia numerosa. (I was born into a large family.)
Naciste bajo una buena estrella. (You were born under a lucky star.)
El proyecto nació de una idea simple. (The project was born from a simple idea.)
Nacimos en la misma década. (We were born in the same decade.)
Las flores nacieron en primavera. (The flowers were born in spring.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Nacer (to be born) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo nací | I was born |
| Tú naciste | You were born |
| Él / Ella / Usted nació | He / She / You was born |
| Nosotros / Nosotras nacimos | We were born |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes nacieron | They / You all were born |
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.