The preterite of sufrir is used to express when someone suffered or experienced hardship at a specific moment or during a defined period in the past. For example, when you want to say “He suffered an injury during the game” – “Sufrió una lesión durante el juego.”
This verb follows the regular -ir conjugation pattern in the preterite tense, with regular endings and no stem changes required.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Sufrir (to suffer) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | sufrí |
| Tú | sufriste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | sufrió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | sufrimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | sufristeis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | sufrieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Sufrir (to suffer) 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 Sufrir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of sufrir indicates completed periods of suffering or enduring.
To suffer: Describes experiencing hardship or pain, for example Sufrí un accidente (I suffered an accident), or Sufrieron grandes pérdidas (They suffered great losses).
To undergo/experience: Indicates experiencing changes or difficulties, for example El proyecto sufrió retrasos (The project underwent delays).
Examples
Examples of Sufrir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
El equipo sufrió una derrota inesperada. (The team suffered an unexpected defeat.)
Sufrí mucho cuando perdí mi trabajo. (I suffered a lot when I lost my job.)
La ciudad sufrió graves daños tras el huracán. (The city suffered serious damage after the hurricane.)
Sufrieron las consecuencias de sus acciones. (They suffered the consequences of their actions.)
¿Sufriste algún efecto secundario? (Did you suffer any side effects?)
Sufrimos un retraso de tres horas. (We suffered a three-hour delay.)
La empresa sufrió grandes pérdidas financieras. (The company suffered major financial losses.)
Sufrieron cambios drásticos en sus vidas. (They suffered drastic changes in their lives.)
El proyecto sufrió varios contratiempos. (The project suffered several setbacks.)
Sufrí un accidente el año pasado. (I suffered an accident last year.)
La relación sufrió por la falta de comunicación. (The relationship suffered from lack of communication.)
Sufrimos las consecuencias de la sequía. (We suffered the consequences of the drought.)
El edificio sufrió daños estructurales. (The building suffered structural damage.)
Sufriste mucho durante la recuperación. (You suffered a lot during recovery.)
Los agricultores sufrieron por el mal tiempo. (The farmers suffered due to bad weather.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Sufrir (to suffer) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo sufrí | I suffered |
| Tú sufriste | You suffered |
| Él / Ella / Usted sufrió | He / She / You (formal) suffered |
| Nosotros / Nosotras sufrimos | We suffered |
| Vosotros / Vosotras sufristeis | You all suffered |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes sufrieron | They / You all (formal) suffered |
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.