Hacer Preterite Conjugation: Spanish Examples & Usage

"Hacer" in the preterite tense describes completed actions in the past. Here's how to conjugate it and when to use it.

Preterite Conjugation

• Yo hice — I did/made
• Tú hiciste — You did/made
• Él/Ella/Usted hizo — He/She/You (formal) did/made
• Nosotros hicimos — We did/made
• Vosotros hicisteis — You (plural) did/made
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes hicieron — They/You (plural) did/made

When to Use Preterite

Completed Actions

• Specific time: "Ayer hice mi tarea" (Yesterday I did my homework)
• Definite past: "El mes pasado hice un viaje" (Last month I took a trip)
• Finished events: "Hice la cena" (I made dinner - completed)

Examples

Completed Actions

• "Hice mi trabajo" — I did my work (completed)
• "Hicimos una fiesta" — We threw a party (completed)
• "Hicieron su tarea" — They did their homework (completed)

Time Expressions

• "Hice ejercicio ayer" — I exercised yesterday
• "Hicimos planes el mes pasado" — We made plans last month

Preterite vs. Imperfect

Preterite (Completed)

• "Hice la cena" — I made dinner (specific time, completed)

Imperfect (Ongoing)

• "Hacía la cena" — I was making dinner (ongoing, description)

Common Expressions

• Hacer tiempo — To spend time
• Hacer un viaje — To take a trip
• Hacer daño — To hurt

Master Hacer Preterite

The best way to master preterite is through daily practice. Use it in conversations, get feedback, and learn through context. Try Parlai and practice Spanish through real conversations with immediate feedback.