Ir Preterite Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The preterite of ir — to go — is the form you need for finished actions in the past. Ir means to go, and it is the verb behind the near future: ir a + infinitive (voy a estudiar). Its present (voy, vas, va) comes from Latin vadere and its preterite (fui, fuiste, fue) is shared with ser, so only the context tells them apart. It takes a for destinations: voy a Madrid. This page gives you the complete preterite table for ir, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Ayer yo fui al mercado.” — “Yesterday I went to the market”.
Preterite conjugation of ir
Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for ir. Ir is an irregular -ir verb (irregular in present, preterite, imperfect, present-subjunctive, imperfect-subjunctive, gerund, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative), so watch out for the forms that break the pattern — they are the ones learners need to memorise.
Preterite indicative — ir
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | fui |
| tú | fuiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | fue |
| nosotros/as | fuimos |
| vosotros/as | fuisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | fueron |
The gerund of ir is yendo and the past participle is ido. The participle matters here because the preterite is often confused with the perfect tenses — keep them apart.
How the preterite of ir is formed
The preterite of ir does not follow the regular pattern. If ir were regular, the preterite forms would be yo → í, tú → iste, él/ella/Ud. → ió, nosotros/as → imos, vosotros/as → isteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. → ieron — but ir breaks the pattern in this tense: the forms are fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis and fueron.
The preterite stem here is fu-, which you cannot get from the infinitive by rule — it has to be learnt as part of the verb. The endings then attach to that stem: fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis and fueron. This is the same pattern the verb follows in the imperfect subjunctive, which is built on the preterite third-person plural, so learning the preterite pays twice.
A note on spelling: none of the preterite forms of ir carries a written accent, which is one less thing to memorise — but do not add one by habit. Copy the forms from the table above exactly as written.
When to use the preterite of ir
1. Completed actions at a specific time
Use the preterite for an action that started and finished in the past. For example, with ir: “Ayer yo fui al mercado.” — “Yesterday I went to the market”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.
2. A sequence of actions
Use the preterite to list one finished action after another. For example, with ir: “Ella fue a visitar a su abuela.” — “She went to visit her grandmother”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.
3. Actions that interrupt an ongoing situation
Use the preterite for the action that breaks into a longer background scene. For example, with ir: “Nosotros fuimos a la playa el fin de semana.” — “We went to the beach at the weekend”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.
4. Sudden changes and achievements
Use the preterite for a change of state or something achieved at one moment. For example, with ir: “Ellos fueron al concierto anoche.” — “They went to the concert last night”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.
Preterite vs imperfect: ir finished, ir in progress
The preterite and the imperfect are the two past tenses, and choosing between them is the hardest decision in Spanish past-tense grammar. The preterite is for what happened and finished; the imperfect is for what was happening, what used to happen, and the background. Compare the pairs below — the preterite form comes from this page, the imperfect form from the full conjugation table.
Preterite tense: “Ayer yo fui a la escuela.” — “Yesterday I went to school.”
Imperfect: “De niño, yo iba a la escuela.” — “As a child, I used to go to school.”
Preterite tense: “Ella fue a la escuela a las ocho.” — “She went to school at eight.”
Imperfect: “Ella iba a la escuela cada día.” — “She used to go to school every day.”
Preterite tense: “Nosotros fuimos a la escuela el sábado.” — “We went to school on Saturday.”
Imperfect: “Nosotros íbamos a la escuela todos los sábados.” — “We used to go to school every Saturday.”
Example sentences: ir in the preterite
Six sentences using only the preterite of ir, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.
- “Ayer yo fui al mercado.” — “Yesterday I went to the market.”
- “Ella fue a visitar a su abuela.” — “She went to visit her grandmother.”
- “Nosotros fuimos a la playa el fin de semana.” — “We went to the beach at the weekend.”
- “Ellos fueron al concierto anoche.” — “They went to the concert last night.”
- “¿Tú fuiste a clase ayer?” — “Did you go to class yesterday?”
- “El tren fue con retraso.” — “The train was delayed.”
Common mistakes with ir in the preterite
Mistake 1
Wrong: Yo voy a la escuela — learners drop the a: voy la escuela.
Right: Yo fui a la escuela.
Ir takes a before a destination: voy a la escuela, never voy la escuela.
Mistake 2
Wrong: Ayer yo fui profesor — confusing ir and ser.
Right: Ayer yo fui al mercado.
Fui is both ir and ser in the preterite; with a destination (al mercado) it can only be ir.
Quiz: ir in the preterite
Eight questions on the preterite of ir. Answers with explanations follow each question.
1. What is the yo form of ir in the preterite?
- A) fui
- B) fuiste
- C) fue
- D) fuimos
Answer: A — The yo form in the preterite is fui.
2. What is the tú form of ir in the preterite?
- A) fui
- B) fue
- C) fuimos
- D) fuiste
Answer: D — The tú form in the preterite is fuiste.
3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of ir in the preterite?
- A) fuiste
- B) fuimos
- C) fue
- D) fui
Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite is fue.
4. What is the nosotros/as form of ir in the preterite?
- A) fue
- B) fuimos
- C) fui
- D) fuiste
Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the preterite is fuimos.
5. Fill in the blank: “Ayer yo ___ al mercado.” (Yesterday I went to the market.)
- A) fui
- B) fuiste
- C) fue
- D) fuimos
Answer: A — The sentence needs fui.
6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ a visitar a su abuela.” (She went to visit her grandmother.)
- A) fui
- B) fuiste
- C) fuimos
- D) fue
Answer: D — The sentence needs fue.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- A) Yo voy a la escuela — learners drop the a: voy la escuela.
- B) Yo fui a la escuela.
Answer: B — Ir takes a before a destination: voy a la escuela, never voy la escuela.
8. Which sentence is correct?
- A) Ayer yo fui al mercado.
- B) Ayer yo fui profesor — confusing ir and ser.
Answer: A — Fui is both ir and ser in the preterite; with a destination (al mercado) it can only be ir.
Frequently asked questions
Is ir regular in the preterite?
No. ir is irregular in the preterite: the forms are fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis and fueron. There is no rule that produces them from the infinitive, so they have to be learnt as a set — the quiz above is a good place to start.
What is the yo form of ir in the preterite?
It is fui. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for ir it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.
When do I use the preterite of ir instead of the present?
Use the preterite when the action is finished and tied to a specific moment — yesterday, last week, at eight o’clock. If the action was ongoing, habitual, or just background to another event, the imperfect is the right choice, not the preterite.
How can I remember the preterite forms of ir?
Say the six forms aloud in order — fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and the full conjugation page for ir to see the verb in every tense.
Say it yourself
Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo voy…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo fui…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo iré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.
Related pages
- Full conjugation: Ir Conjugation
- Examples and quiz: Ir Examples & Quiz
- Tense guide: Spanish Preterite Tense Guide
- Language hub: Spanish Verbs
- Tool: Preterite Conjugator