Maldecir in the Preterite Tense
Maldecir means “to curse”, and this page covers exactly one thing: maldecir in the preterite tense. The preterite is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what is finished and done. On this page you will find the full preterite table for maldecir, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the imperfect, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about maldecir in the preterite. For example: “Ayer, yo maldije su suerte tras el accidente.” — Yesterday, I cursed his luck after the accident. Everything on this page uses the forms of maldecir exactly as they are conjugated in the preterite, so you can trust every form you see here.
Maldecir in the Preterite Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | maldije |
| tú | maldijiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | maldijo |
| nosotros/as | maldijimos |
| vosotros/as | maldijisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | maldijeron |
Gerund: maldiciendo · Past participle: maldecido
The gerund is maldiciendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy maldiciendo” means the action of maldecir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is maldecido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he maldecido” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the preterite is only one part of how maldecir is used.
How the preterite of maldecir is formed
Maldecir does not use one regular stem in this tense, so the forms below do not follow the simple stem + endings pattern. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of decir, with a -g- in the present (as in predigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in predije), and an irregular participle where one applies. Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. Learn the six forms as a set: yo maldije, tú maldijiste, él/ella/Ud. maldijo, nosotros/as maldijimos, vosotros/as maldijisteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. maldijeron.
When to use the preterite of maldecir
The preterite is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use maldecir in the preterite most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. One finished action
The preterite reports a single action that started and finished in the past. The action is done, counted once, and the story moves on. Example: “Ayer, yo maldije su suerte tras el accidente.” — Yesterday, I cursed his luck after the accident.
2. A sequence of events
In a story, each preterite form is one step forward in time. When several things happened one after another, the preterite lists them in order. Example: “Nosotros maldijimos el día en que lo conoció.” — We cursed the day he met him.
3. A specific time marker
Time words such as ayer, anoche, el año pasado and la semana pasada point to the preterite. They name a finished moment, and the verb must match. Example: “Él maldijo en voz baja al perder ayer.” — He cursed under his breath when he lost yesterday.
4. A sudden change or interruption
The preterite describes sudden changes and interruptions: something happened, and the situation was different afterwards. Example: “Ellos maldijeron a su enemigo en la historia de repente.” — They cursed his enemy in the story suddenly.
5. A completed time frame
When an action took place inside a period of time that is now over, the preterite is the right tense, because the period itself is finished. Example: “Tú maldijiste su suerte tras el accidente la semana pasada.” — You cursed his luck after the accident last week.
Preterite Tense vs Imperfect: how to choose
The closest tense to the preterite is the imperfect, and choosing between them is one of the hardest decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the preterite reports one finished action, while the imperfect describes background, habits in the past, or an action that was in progress when something else happened. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is finished and counted, or ongoing and descriptive. Time words help: ayer and de repente point to the preterite, while mientras and todos los días in the past point to the imperfect.
Preterite Tense: “Ayer, yo maldije su suerte tras el accidente.” — Yesterday, I cursed his luck after the accident.
Imperfect: “Yo maldecía su suerte tras el accidente cada día.” — I used to curse his luck after the accident every day.
The preterite sentence reports one finished action; the imperfect sentence describes a habit in the past. Ayer points to the preterite, cada día in the past points to the imperfect.
Preterite Tense: “Anoche, él maldijo el día en que lo conoció.” — Last night, he cursed the day he met him.
Imperfect: “Él maldecía el día en que lo conoció todos los días.” — He used to curse the day he met him every day.
Anoche names one finished night, so the preterite is right; todos los días in the past describes a routine, so the imperfect is right.
Preterite Tense: “Nosotros maldijimos en voz baja al perder ayer.” — We cursed under his breath when he lost yesterday.
Imperfect: “Nosotros maldecíamos en voz baja al perder cuando éramos jóvenes.” — We used to curse under his breath when he lost when we were young.
The preterite sentence counts one finished action; the imperfect sentence describes how things used to be. That difference — finished event versus background — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: maldecir in the preterite
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Maldije su suerte tras el accidente.” — I cursed his luck after the accident.
“Maldijiste el día en que lo conoció.” — You cursed the day he met him.
“Maldijo en voz baja al perder.” — He/she cursed under his breath when he lost.
“Maldijimos a su enemigo en la historia.” — We cursed his enemy in the story.
“Maldijisteis su suerte tras el accidente.” — You cursed his luck after the accident.
“Maldijeron el día en que lo conoció.” — They cursed the day he met him.
“Maldije en voz baja al perder.” — I cursed under his breath when he lost.
“Maldijo a su enemigo en la historia.” — He/she cursed his enemy in the story.
Common mistakes with maldecir in the preterite
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Ellos maldijo su suerte tras el accidente.” Right: “Ellos maldijeron su suerte tras el accidente.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form maldijeron. The singular maldijo belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Wrong: “Ayer yo maldecí el día en que lo conoció.” Right: “Ayer yo maldije el día en que lo conoció.” Why: Maldecir has an irregular preterite: the correct first-person form is maldije, not the regular maldecí.
Wrong: “Nosotros maldijiste en voz baja al perder.” Right: “Nosotros maldijimos en voz baja al perder.” Why: Nosotros needs maldijimos. The tú form maldijiste belongs with tú.
Wrong: “Ellos maldije a su enemigo en la historia.” Right: “Ellos maldijeron a su enemigo en la historia.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form maldijeron, not the yo form maldije.
Quiz: maldecir in the preterite
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ su suerte tras el accidente.” (His luck after the accident.)
- (a) maldije
- (b) maldijiste
- (c) maldijo
Answer: maldije — The yo form of maldecir in the preterite is maldije. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ el día en que lo conoció?” (The day he met him.)
- (a) maldije
- (b) maldijo
- (c) maldijiste
Answer: maldijiste — The tú form of maldecir in the preterite is maldijiste. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ en voz baja al perder.” (Under his breath when he lost.)
- (a) maldijiste
- (b) maldijo
- (c) maldije
Answer: maldijo — The él/ella/Ud. form of maldecir in the preterite is maldijo. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ a su enemigo en la historia.” (His enemy in the story.)
- (a) maldijimos
- (b) maldije
- (c) maldijiste
Answer: maldijimos — The nosotros/as form of maldecir in the preterite is maldijimos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
5. What is the vosotros/as form of maldecir in the preterite?
- (a) maldije
- (b) maldijiste
- (c) maldijisteis
Answer: maldijisteis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes maldijisteis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros maldijisteis su suerte tras el accidente.” to fix it in your memory.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el día en que lo conoció.” (The day he met him.)
- (a) maldijiste
- (b) maldijeron
- (c) maldije
Answer: maldijeron — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of maldecir in the preterite is maldijeron. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
7. Which is the correct yo form of maldecir in the preterite?
- (a) maldije
- (b) maldijiste
- (c) maldijo
Answer: maldije — The yo form is maldije. The other two options are the forms for other persons.
8. Which sentence describes one finished action in the past?
- (a) Yo maldecía su suerte tras el accidente cada día.
- (b) Mañana, yo maldeciré su suerte tras el accidente.
- (c) Ayer, yo maldije su suerte tras el accidente.
Answer: Ayer, yo maldije su suerte tras el accidente. — “Ayer, yo maldije su suerte tras el accidente.” reports a single completed event, so it takes the preterite. The second option describes background or a past habit, and the third looks to the future.
Frequently asked questions
Is maldecir regular in the preterite?
No. Maldecir has an irregular preterite: maldije, maldijiste, maldijo, maldijimos, maldijisteis, maldijeron. Learn these forms as a set rather than deriving them from the infinitive.
What is the past participle of maldecir?
The past participle is maldecido: 'He maldecido' means 'I have cursed'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is maldiciendo.
When do I use the preterite instead of the imperfect for maldecir?
Use the preterite for one finished action, as in Ayer, yo maldije su suerte tras el accidente. Use the imperfect for a repeated habit or background, as in Yo maldecía su suerte tras el accidente cada día. The time words around the verb usually tell you which one fits.
How do I remember the preterite forms of maldecir?
Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo maldije, tú maldijiste, él/ella/Ud. maldijo, nosotros/as maldijimos, vosotros/as maldijisteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. maldijeron. Then write three of your own sentences with maldecir in the preterite, using the examples on this page as models.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of maldecir — every tense of maldecir in one place.
- Maldecir examples and quiz — more sentences with maldecir and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish preterite guide — how the preterite works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Preterite conjugator — conjugate any verb in the preterite instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on maldecir and other verbs.