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Conjugation Chart

“Volver” (to return) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Volver”

The preterite of volver is used to express a completed action of returning in the past. For example, you might say “I returned home at midnight,” indicating a specific moment when you came back.

This is a regular -er verb in the preterite tense. The conjugations follow the standard pattern for -er verbs in the preterite, making it straightforward to learn and use.

How to Use Volver in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The Preterite of volver indicates completed actions of returning or coming back.

To return: Used for specific instances of coming back, for example, Volvió a casa tarde anoche (He/she returned home late last night).

To go back: Indicates returning to a previous place or state, for example, Volvimos al restaurante la semana pasada (We went back to the restaurant last week).

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

Volví a casa después de diez años. (I returned home after ten years.)

¿A qué hora volviste de la fiesta? (What time did you return from the party?)

El ave volvió a su nido al anochecer. (The bird returned to its nest at dusk.)

Volvimos temprano por el mal tiempo. (We returned early due to bad weather.)

Los turistas volvieron encantados de su viaje. (The tourists returned delighted from their trip.)

Volví a llamar pero nadie contestó. (I called again but nobody answered.)

¿Por qué no volviste a la reunión? (Why didn’t you return to the meeting?)

El tren volvió a la estación con retraso. (The train returned to the station with a delay.)

Volvimos a encontrarnos después de muchos años. (We met again after many years.)

Los soldados volvieron de la misión sanos y salvos. (The soldiers returned from the mission safe and sound.)

Volví a empezar desde cero. (I started over from scratch.)

Volviste justo a tiempo para la cena. (You returned just in time for dinner.)

La luz volvió después del apagón. (The power came back after the blackout.)

Volvimos por el mismo camino. (We returned by the same path.)

Los estudiantes volvieron a clases después de las vacaciones. (The students returned to classes after vacation.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Volver (to return) 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.