Introduction

reproducir means “to reproduce”, and this page covers exactly one thing: reproducir 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 reproducir, 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 reproducir in the preterite. For example: “Yo reproduje la canción ayer.” — “I reproduced the song.” Everything on this page uses the forms of reproducir exactly as they are conjugated in the preterite, so you can trust every form you see here.

reproducir in the Preterite Tense — full table

Person Form
yo reproduje
tú reprodujiste
él/ella/Ud. reprodujo
nosotros/as reprodujimos
vosotros/as reprodujisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. reprodujeron

Gerund: reproduciendo · Past participle: reproducido

The gerund is reproduciendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy reproduciendo” means the action of reproducir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is reproducido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he reproducido” 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 reproducir is used.

How the preterite of reproducir is formed

reproducir is a -ir verb. Take the stem reproduc and add the preterite endings for -ir verbs: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron, giving reproduje, reprodujiste, reprodujo, reprodujimos, reprodujisteis and reprodujeron. But reproducir is irregular in the preterite: the forms in the table do not all follow from the infinitive, so memorise them as they are written above. The él form, reprodujo, shows the irregularity most clearly. Watch the accents: yo takes an accent on the stressed vowel (reproduje) and él takes one too (reprodujo), because the stress falls on the ending rather than the stem.

The preterite of reproducir rewards careful reading of the table. Two details deserve attention. First, the yo form reproduje is the form you will use most when you talk about yourself, so say it out loud until it comes without thinking. Second, the nosotros form reprodujimos and the ellos form reprodujeron are the ones learners confuse most often, because they are the forms used for groups. Practise the six forms in order — yo, tú, él, nosotros, vosotros, ellos — and the pattern will settle.

When to use the preterite of reproducir

The preterite is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use reproducir 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

reproducir in the preterite describes one finished action: something you did and completed. The action is done, and the tense says so. Example: “Yo reproduje la canción ayer.” — “I reproduced the song.”

2. A sequence of events

When several things happened one after another, each one takes the preterite. The tense moves the story forward, one finished event at a time. Example: “Él reprodujo la canción ayer.” — “He reproduced the song.”

3. An action in a finished time frame

The preterite is the tense of completed actions. When the action started and ended inside a finished period — ayer, anoche, la semana pasada — the preterite is the right choice. Example: “Nosotros reprodujimos la canción la semana pasada.” — “We reproduced the song.”

4. An interruption

When one action interrupted another, the interrupting action takes the preterite. It marks the moment the story changed. Example: “Ellos reprodujeron la canción ayer.” — “They reproduced the song.”

5. A change of state

The preterite also marks a change: the moment something started to be different. If the change itself is the point, use the preterite. Example: “Tú reprodujiste la canción ayer.” — “you reproduced the song.”

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 the tense. 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: “Yo reproduje la canción ayer.” — “I reproduced the song.”

  • Imperfect: “Yo reproducía la canción cada mañana.” — “I used to reproduce the song.”

  • The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: one finished event versus background or a habit in the past. That difference is the whole decision.

  • Preterite Tense: “Él reprodujo la canción ayer.” — “He reproduced the song.”

  • Imperfect: “Él reproducía la canción cada mañana.” — “He used to reproduce the song.”

  • The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: one finished event versus background or a habit in the past. That difference is the whole decision.

  • Preterite Tense: “Nosotros reprodujimos la canción ayer.” — “We reproduced the song.”

  • Imperfect: “Nosotros reproducíamos la canción cada mañana.” — “We used to reproduce the song.”

  • The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: one finished event versus background or a habit in the past. That difference is the whole decision.

Example sentences: reproducir 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.

  1. “Yo reproduje la canción ayer.” — “I reproduced the song.”
  2. “Tú reprodujiste la canción ayer.” — “you reproduced the song.”
  3. “Él reprodujo la canción anoche.” — “He reproduced the song.”
  4. “Nosotros reprodujimos la canción la semana pasada.” — “We reproduced the song.”
  5. “Vosotros reprodujisteis la canción ayer.” — “You reproduced the song.”
  6. “Ellos reprodujeron la canción ayer.” — “They reproduced the song.”
  7. “Yo reproduje la canción esta mañana.” — “I reproduced the song.”
  8. “Él reprodujo la canción ayer.” — “He reproduced the song.”

Common mistakes

Confusing reproducir with representar

reproducir and representar look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of reproducir — reproduce — the sentence needs reproducir; if it needs the meaning of representar, use that verb instead.

Using the unchanged stem

Learners often write reproduco for the yo form, keeping the infinitive stem unchanged. The correct form is reproduzco. Because reproducir changes its stem vowel, the change appears in the stressed syllables of the present: say the correct form out loud a few times — yo reproduzco la canción — until the changed stem feels natural.

Using ser instead of haber in perfect tenses

Spanish perfect tenses always use haber, never ser: yo he reproducido la canción. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy reproducido is not the present perfect of reproducir — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing reproducir with representar

reproducir and representar look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of reproducir — reproduce — the sentence needs reproducir; if it needs the meaning of representar, use that verb instead.

Using the wrong tense for reproducir

The most general mistake is choosing the wrong tense altogether: using the preterite where Spanish needs the imperfect, or the other way round. Check the time words first — ayer and la semana pasada point to the past, cada día and siempre point to the present — and then check whether the action is finished or ongoing. If you can answer those two questions, the tense usually chooses itself.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of reproducir in the preterite tense?

  • A. reprodujiste
  • B. reprodujo
  • C. reprodujimos
  • D. reproduje

2. What is the tu form of reproducir in the preterite tense?

  • A. reprodujiste
  • B. reproduje
  • C. reprodujo
  • D. reprodujimos

3. What is the el form of reproducir in the preterite tense?

  • A. reprodujimos
  • B. reprodujo
  • C. reproduje
  • D. reprodujiste

4. What is the nosotros form of reproducir in the preterite tense?

  • A. reprodujiste
  • B. reprodujo
  • C. reprodujimos
  • D. reproduje

5. What is the vosotros form of reproducir in the preterite tense?

  • A. reproduje
  • B. reprodujiste
  • C. reprodujo
  • D. reprodujisteis

6. What is the ellos form of reproducir in the preterite tense?

  • A. reprodujeron
  • B. reproduje
  • C. reprodujiste
  • D. reprodujo

7. What is the yo form of reproducir in the preterite tense?

  • A. reprodujimos
  • B. reproduje
  • C. reprodujiste
  • D. reprodujo

8. What is the el form of reproducir in the preterite tense?

  • A. reprodujiste
  • B. reprodujimos
  • C. reprodujo
  • D. reproduje

Answer key

  1. reproduje — The preterite table gives yo = reproduje.
  2. reprodujiste — The preterite table gives tu = reprodujiste.
  3. reprodujo — The preterite table gives el = reprodujo.
  4. reprodujimos — The preterite table gives nosotros = reprodujimos.
  5. reprodujisteis — The preterite table gives vosotros = reprodujisteis.
  6. reprodujeron — The preterite table gives ellos = reprodujeron.
  7. reproduje — The preterite table gives yo = reproduje.
  8. reprodujo — The preterite table gives el = reprodujo.

Frequently asked questions

How do you form the preterite of reproducir?

Take the stem reproduc and add the preterite endings for -ir verbs. The six forms are reproduje, reprodujiste, reprodujo, reprodujimos, reprodujisteis and reprodujeron. Copy the forms from the table above rather than building them from memory until they are automatic.

When should I use the preterite of reproducir?

Use it for actions that started and finished in the past. The five rules in the section above cover the situations you will meet most often. If the action is one finished event inside a finished time frame, the preterite is the right choice.

What is the difference between the preterite and the imperfect of reproducir?

The preterite form for yo is reproduje and the imperfect form is reproducía — different forms for different meanings. The preterite reports one finished action, while the imperfect describes background or a past habit. The contrasted pairs above show the same situation in both tenses, so compare them side by side.

Is reproducir regular in the preterite?

No — reproducir is irregular in the preterite, so learn the six forms in the table as a set. The full conjugation of reproducir is on its main conjugation page, where every tense is covered.

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