The preterite of pescar is used to express when you fished at a specific moment in the past. For example, “We caught three fish yesterday” – “Pescamos tres peces ayer.”
This verb follows the -car spelling-changing pattern in the preterite. The ‘c’ changes to ‘qu’ before ‘e’ to maintain the same sound, which occurs in the yo form (pesqué).
Conjugations
Conjugations of Pescar (to fish) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | pesqué |
| Tú | pescaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | pescó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | pescamos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | pescasteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | pescaron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Pescar (to fish) 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 Pescar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of pescar indicates completed fishing actions.
To fish/catch: Describes successful fishing or catching, for example Pesqué tres truchas (I caught three trout), or Pescaron un pez enorme (They caught a huge fish).
To catch/discover (colloquial): Used informally for catching someone in the act, for example Lo pesqué mintiendo (I caught him lying).
Examples
Examples of Pescar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Mi abuelo pescó un pez enorme en el lago. (My grandfather caught a huge fish in the lake.)
Pescamos tres truchas esta mañana. (We caught three trout this morning.)
¿Qué pescaste durante tu viaje? (What did you catch during your trip?)
Los pescadores pescaron más de lo esperado. (The fishermen caught more than expected.)
Pesqué un resfriado por nadar en agua fría. (I caught a cold from swimming in cold water.)
Juan pescó el último autobús de la noche. (Juan caught the last bus of the night.)
Pescamos el momento perfecto para hacer la foto. (We caught the perfect moment to take the photo.)
¿Dónde pescaste esas noticias? (Where did you catch that news?)
El gato pescó un ratón en el jardín. (The cat caught a mouse in the garden.)
Pescaron a los ladrones con las manos en la masa. (They caught the thieves red-handed.)
Pesqué la indirecta inmediatamente. (I caught the hint immediately.)
Los niños pescaron luciérnagas en el jardín. (The children caught fireflies in the garden.)
Pescaste el error justo a tiempo. (You caught the mistake just in time.)
Pescamos un taxi en el último minuto. (We caught a taxi at the last minute.)
La policía pescó al sospechoso en la frontera. (The police caught the suspect at the border.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Pescar (to fish) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo pesqué | I fished |
| Tú pescaste | You fished |
| Él / Ella / Usted pescó | He / She / You (formal) fished |
| Nosotros / Nosotras pescamos | We fished |
| Vosotros / Vosotras pescasteis | You all fished |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes pescaron | They / You all (formal) fished |
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.