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Conjugation Chart

“Rezar” (to pray) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Rezar”

The preterite of rezar is used to express a specific instance of praying in the past, for example Recé por su pronta recuperación (I prayed for his quick recovery). This tense emphasizes the completed action of praying at a particular moment.

This verb requires a spelling change in the first person singular, where ‘z’ changes to ‘c’ before ‘é’ to maintain the same sound. Otherwise, it follows the regular -ar verb pattern in the preterite.

How to Use Rezar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The preterite of rezar expresses a completed action of praying in the past.

To pray: Describes the act of prayer, for example Rezé por su recuperación (I prayed for their recovery) or Rezaron juntos antes de cenar (They prayed together before dinner).

To recite prayers: Used for formal prayer recitation, for example Rezó el rosario completo (He/she recited the entire rosary).

Real Life Examples of Rezar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Recé por la salud de mi familia. (I prayed for my family’s health.)

Rezaste antes de dormir. (You prayed before going to sleep.)

La abuela rezó el rosario. (The grandmother prayed the rosary.)

Rezamos por la paz mundial. (We prayed for world peace.)

Los fieles rezaron en la iglesia. (The faithful prayed in church.)

Recé durante la tormenta. (I prayed during the storm.)

Rezaste por el éxito del examen. (You prayed for success in the exam.)

La comunidad rezó por los enfermos. (The community prayed for the sick.)

Rezamos juntos esa noche. (We prayed together that night.)

Los peregrinos rezaron en el santuario. (The pilgrims prayed at the shrine.)

Recé por tu bienestar. (I prayed for your well-being.)

Rezaste con mucha fe. (You prayed with great faith.)

El sacerdote rezó por la congregación. (The priest prayed for the congregation.)

Rezamos por los necesitados. (We prayed for those in need.)

Las familias rezaron por sus seres queridos. (The families prayed for their loved ones.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Rezar (to pray) in the Preterite (Past) 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.