The preterite of salir is used to express when you left or went out at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “I left the house at 8 AM” – “Salí de casa a las 8 de la mañana.”
This verb follows the regular -ir conjugation pattern in the preterite tense, using standard -ir endings throughout all forms.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Salir (to leave/go out) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | salí |
| Tú | saliste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | salió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | salimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | salisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | salieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Salir (to leave/go out) 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 Salir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of salir indicates completed actions of leaving or going out.
To leave/exit: Used for departing from a place, for example Salí temprano de la oficina (I left the office early), or Salieron del cine a medianoche (They left the movie theater at midnight).
To go out: Describes social outings, for example Salimos con amigos el sábado (We went out with friends on Saturday).
Examples
Examples of Salir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Salí temprano de la oficina ayer. (I left the office early yesterday.)
El tren salió con diez minutos de retraso. (The train departed ten minutes late.)
¿A qué hora saliste de casa? (What time did you leave home?)
Salimos a cenar después del concierto. (We went out to dinner after the concert.)
Los estudiantes salieron corriendo al sonar la campana. (The students ran out when the bell rang.)
Todo salió según lo planeado. (Everything turned out as planned.)
Saliste muy bien en la foto. (You came out very well in the photo.)
El sol salió a las seis de la mañana. (The sun rose at six in the morning.)
Salimos ganando en ese negocio. (We came out winning in that deal.)
¿Por qué salieron tan tarde de la fiesta? (Why did they leave the party so late?)
Salí a comprar pan esta mañana. (I went out to buy bread this morning.)
La película salió en los cines el mes pasado. (The movie came out in theaters last month.)
Salimos victoriosos del campeonato. (We came out victorious from the championship.)
¿Cuándo saliste del hospital? (When did you leave the hospital?)
El vuelo salió puntual. (The flight departed on time.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Salir (to leave/go out) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo salí | I left |
| Tú saliste | You left |
| Él / Ella / Usted salió | He / She / You (formal) left |
| Nosotros / Nosotras salimos | We left |
| Vosotros / Vosotras salisteis | You all left |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes salieron | They / You all (formal) left |
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.