The preterite of recibir is used to express when you received something at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “I received the package yesterday” – “Recibí el paquete ayer.”
This is a regular -ir verb that follows standard preterite conjugation patterns. The stem ‘recib-‘ remains constant throughout all conjugations.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Recibir (to receive) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | recibí |
| Tú | recibiste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | recibió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | recibimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | recibisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | recibieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Recibir (to receive) 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 Recibir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of recibir indicates completed actions of receiving.
To receive: Used for getting items or information, for example Recibí tu carta ayer (I received your letter yesterday), or Recibieron el premio (They received the award).
To welcome: Describes hosting or welcoming, for example Me recibieron con los brazos abiertos (They received me with open arms).
Examples
Examples of Recibir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Recibí tu carta ayer. (I received your letter yesterday.)
¿Recibiste mi mensaje? (Did you receive my message?)
Ella recibió un premio importante. (She received an important award.)
Recibimos la noticia con alegría. (We received the news with joy.)
Los estudiantes recibieron sus diplomas. (The students received their diplomas.)
Recibí un paquete sorpresa. (I received a surprise package.)
¿Cuándo recibiste la confirmación? (When did you receive the confirmation?)
El equipo recibió nuevos uniformes. (The team received new uniforms.)
Recibimos muchos comentarios positivos. (We received many positive comments.)
No recibieron ninguna respuesta. (They didn’t receive any response.)
Recibí una oferta de trabajo inesperada. (I received an unexpected job offer.)
¿Recibiste el reembolso? (Did you receive the refund?)
La empresa recibió una gran inversión. (The company received a large investment.)
Recibimos a los invitados en la entrada. (We received the guests at the entrance.)
Los artistas recibieron una ovación. (The artists received a standing ovation.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Recibir (to receive) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo recibí | I received |
| Tú recibiste | You received |
| Él / Ella / Usted recibió | He / She / You (formal) received |
| Nosotros / Nosotras recibimos | We received |
| Vosotros / Vosotras recibisteis | You all received |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes recibieron | They / You all (formal) received |
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.