Predecir in the Preterite Tense
Predecir means “to predict”, and this page covers exactly one thing: predecir 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 predecir, 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 predecir in the preterite. For example: “Ayer, yo predije el tiempo para mañana.” — Yesterday, I predicted the weather for tomorrow. Everything on this page uses the forms of predecir exactly as they are conjugated in the preterite, so you can trust every form you see here.
Predecir in the Preterite Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | predije |
| tú | predijiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | predijo |
| nosotros/as | predijimos |
| vosotros/as | predijisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | predijeron |
Gerund: prediciendo · Past participle: predicho
The gerund is prediciendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy prediciendo” means the action of predecir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is predicho, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he predicho” 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 predecir is used.
How the preterite of predecir is formed
Predecir 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 predije, tú predijiste, él/ella/Ud. predijo, nosotros/as predijimos, vosotros/as predijisteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. predijeron.
The irregularity of predecir is in its past participle, predicho, not in the preterite, so the table above is the whole story for this tense. Remember the participle for the perfect tenses: he predicho, has predicho, ha predicho.
When to use the preterite of predecir
The preterite is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use predecir 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 predije el tiempo para mañana.” — Yesterday, I predicted the weather for tomorrow.
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 predijimos el resultado del partido.” — We predicted the result of the match.
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 predijo el futuro de la empresa ayer.” — He predicted the future of the company yesterday.
4. A sudden change or interruption
The preterite describes sudden changes and interruptions: something happened, and the situation was different afterwards. Example: “Ellos predijeron una tormenta para el fin de semana de repente.” — They predicted a storm for the weekend 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 predijiste el tiempo para mañana la semana pasada.” — You predicted the weather for tomorrow 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 predije el tiempo para mañana.” — Yesterday, I predicted the weather for tomorrow.
Imperfect: “Yo predecía el tiempo para mañana cada día.” — I used to predict the weather for tomorrow 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 predijo el resultado del partido.” — Last night, he predicted the result of the match.
Imperfect: “Él predecía el resultado del partido todos los días.” — He used to predict the result of the match 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 predijimos el futuro de la empresa ayer.” — We predicted the future of the company yesterday.
Imperfect: “Nosotros predecíamos el futuro de la empresa cuando éramos jóvenes.” — We used to predict the future of the company 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: predecir 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.
“Predije el tiempo para mañana.” — I predicted the weather for tomorrow.
“Predijiste el resultado del partido.” — You predicted the result of the match.
“Predijo el futuro de la empresa.” — He/she predicted the future of the company.
“Predijimos una tormenta para el fin de semana.” — We predicted a storm for the weekend.
“Predijisteis el tiempo para mañana.” — You predicted the weather for tomorrow.
“Predijeron el resultado del partido.” — They predicted the result of the match.
“Predije el futuro de la empresa.” — I predicted the future of the company.
“Predijo una tormenta para el fin de semana.” — He/she predicted a storm for the weekend.
Common mistakes with predecir 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 predijo el tiempo para mañana.” Right: “Ellos predijeron el tiempo para mañana.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form predijeron. The singular predijo belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Wrong: “Ayer yo predecí el resultado del partido.” Right: “Ayer yo predije el resultado del partido.” Why: Predecir has an irregular preterite: the correct first-person form is predije, not the regular predecí.
Wrong: “Nosotros predijiste el futuro de la empresa.” Right: “Nosotros predijimos el futuro de la empresa.” Why: Nosotros needs predijimos. The tú form predijiste belongs with tú.
Wrong: “Ellos predije una tormenta para el fin de semana.” Right: “Ellos predijeron una tormenta para el fin de semana.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form predijeron, not the yo form predije.
Quiz: predecir 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 ______ el tiempo para mañana.” (The weather for tomorrow.)
- (a) predije
- (b) predijiste
- (c) predijo
Answer: predije — The yo form of predecir in the preterite is predije. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ el resultado del partido?” (The result of the match.)
- (a) predije
- (b) predijo
- (c) predijiste
Answer: predijiste — The tú form of predecir in the preterite is predijiste. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ el futuro de la empresa.” (The future of the company.)
- (a) predijiste
- (b) predijo
- (c) predije
Answer: predijo — The él/ella/Ud. form of predecir in the preterite is predijo. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ una tormenta para el fin de semana.” (A storm for the weekend.)
- (a) predijimos
- (b) predije
- (c) predijiste
Answer: predijimos — The nosotros/as form of predecir in the preterite is predijimos. 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 predecir in the preterite?
- (a) predije
- (b) predijiste
- (c) predijisteis
Answer: predijisteis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes predijisteis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros predijisteis el tiempo para mañana.” to fix it in your memory.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el resultado del partido.” (The result of the match.)
- (a) predijiste
- (b) predijeron
- (c) predije
Answer: predijeron — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of predecir in the preterite is predijeron. 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 predecir in the preterite?
- (a) predije
- (b) predijiste
- (c) predijo
Answer: predije — The yo form is predije. The other two options are the forms for other persons.
8. Which sentence describes one finished action in the past?
- (a) Yo predecía el tiempo para mañana cada día.
- (b) Mañana, yo predeciré el tiempo para mañana.
- (c) Ayer, yo predije el tiempo para mañana.
Answer: Ayer, yo predije el tiempo para mañana. — “Ayer, yo predije el tiempo para mañana.” 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 predecir regular in the preterite?
No. Predecir has an irregular preterite: predije, predijiste, predijo, predijimos, predijisteis, predijeron. Learn these forms as a set rather than deriving them from the infinitive.
What is the past participle of predecir?
The past participle is predicho: 'He predicho' means 'I have predicted'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is prediciendo.
When do I use the preterite instead of the imperfect for predecir?
Use the preterite for one finished action, as in Ayer, yo predije el tiempo para mañana. Use the imperfect for a repeated habit or background, as in Yo predecía el tiempo para mañana cada día. The time words around the verb usually tell you which one fits.
How do I remember the preterite forms of predecir?
Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo predije, tú predijiste, él/ella/Ud. predijo, nosotros/as predijimos, vosotros/as predijisteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. predijeron. Then write three of your own sentences with predecir in the preterite, using the examples on this page as models.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of predecir — every tense of predecir in one place.
- Predecir examples and quiz — more sentences with predecir 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 predecir and other verbs.