The preterite of sonreír is used to express when you smiled at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “She smiled when she saw the gift” – “Ella sonrió cuando vio el regalo.”
This verb follows the regular -ir conjugation pattern in the preterite tense. Note that the ‘í’ in sonreír keeps its accent mark throughout most conjugations to maintain proper pronunciation.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Sonreír (to smile) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | sonreí |
| Tú | sonreíste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | sonrió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | sonreímos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | sonreísteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | sonrieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Sonreír (to smile) 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 Sonreír in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of sonreír indicates specific instances of smiling.
To smile (single action): Describes a specific smile, for example Sonrió cuando la vio (He smiled when he saw her), or Sonreímos para la foto (We smiled for the photo).
To express joy: Indicates showing happiness through smiling, for example El bebé sonrió por primera vez (The baby smiled for the first time).
Examples
Examples of Sonreír in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Sonreí cuando vi a mi familia. (I smiled when I saw my family.)
El bebé sonrió por primera vez. (The baby smiled for the first time.)
¿Por qué me sonreíste así? (Why did you smile at me like that?)
Todos sonreímos en la foto. (We all smiled in the photo.)
Los niños sonrieron al ver los regalos. (The children smiled when they saw the gifts.)
Ella sonrió tímidamente. (She smiled shyly.)
Sonreíste durante toda la ceremonia. (You smiled throughout the ceremony.)
La fortuna nos sonrió ese día. (Fortune smiled upon us that day.)
Sonreímos al recordar buenos momentos. (We smiled remembering good times.)
Los novios sonrieron al verse. (The bride and groom smiled when they saw each other.)
Sonreí a pesar de las dificultades. (I smiled despite the difficulties.)
¿Le sonreíste al profesor? (Did you smile at the teacher?)
El público sonrió con el chiste. (The audience smiled at the joke.)
Sonreímos cuando ganamos el partido. (We smiled when we won the game.)
Las estrellas nos sonrieron esa noche. (The stars smiled upon us that night.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Sonreír (to smile) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo sonreí | I smiled |
| Tú sonreíste | You smiled |
| Él / Ella / Usted sonrió | He / She / You (formal) smiled |
| Nosotros / Nosotras sonreímos | We smiled |
| Vosotros / Vosotras sonreísteis | You all smiled |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes sonrieron | They / You all (formal) smiled |
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.