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Conjugation Chart
“Recibir” (to receive) in the Preterite (Past) Tense
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | recibí |
| Tú | recibiste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | recibió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | recibimos |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | recibieron |
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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Recibir”
The preterite of recibir is used to express when you received something at a specific moment in the past. For example, you might say “I received your message yesterday morning,” indicating the exact time when something came into your possession.
This is a regular -ir verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. The endings are added directly to the stem ‘recib-‘ without any changes.
How to Use Recibir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The preterite of recibir indicates the specific moment of receiving something.
Received: Describes getting something specific, for example Recibí tu carta ayer (I received your letter yesterday). Also used for formal receptions, as in El presidente recibió a los embajadores (The president received the ambassadors).
Got/Obtained: Indicates obtaining something specific, for example Recibí mi diploma la semana pasada (I received my diploma last week).
Real Life 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 muchos regalos en Navidad. (We received many gifts at Christmas.)
Los estudiantes recibieron sus diplomas. (The students received their diplomas.)
Recibí una llamada inesperada. (I received an unexpected call.)
¿Recibiste el paquete que envié? (Did you receive the package I sent?)
El museo recibió una donación importante. (The museum received an important donation.)
Recibimos buenas noticias hoy. (We received good news today.)
Los ganadores recibieron sus medallas. (The winners received their medals.)
Recibí una oferta de trabajo. (I received a job offer.)
¿Recibiste el correo electrónico? (Did you receive the email?)
La empresa recibió muchas solicitudes. (The company received many applications.)
Recibimos a los invitados en casa. (We received the guests at home.)
Los artistas recibieron aplausos. (The artists received applause.)
Conjugation Chart with English Translations
Conjugations of Recibir (to receive) in the Preterite (Past) Tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo recibí | I received |
| Tú recibiste | You received |
| Él / Ella / Usted recibió | He / She / You received |
| Nosotros / Nosotras recibimos | We received |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes recibieron | They / You all received |
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.