Spelling changes in the preterite: -car, -gar, -zar
When you conjugate regular -ar verbs in the yo (I) form of the preterite tense, you add -é. However, for verbs ending in -car, -gar, and -zar, simply adding -é changes their pronunciation.
To keep the original sound of the verb, you must change the spelling before adding the ending. This adjustment only happens in the yo form!
| Infinitive ending | yo spelling change | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -car | -qué | aparcar → aparqué |
| -gar | -gué | llegar → llegué |
| -zar | -cé | cruzar → crucé |
Verbs ending in -zar
In standard Spanish spelling, the letter z is rarely followed by e. Change the z to a c before adding the -é ending.
| The pedestrian is going to cross the street around here. | El peatón va a cruzar la calle por aquí. |
| Last night I crossed the street without looking at the traffic light. | Anoche crucé la calle sin mirar el semáforo. |
Verbs ending in -car and -gar
If you simply added -é to a verb like aparcar or pagar, the c would soften to a "th" sound, and the g would sound like a harsh "h". To keep the hard "k" and "g" sounds from the infinitive, change c to qu and g to gu.
| I parked the car and arrived late to the city hall. | Aparqué el coche y llegué tarde al ayuntamiento. |
| Last night I parked badly and paid a fine of two hundred euros. | Anoche aparqué mal y pagué una multa de doscientos euros. |
Putting it all together
You will often use several of these verbs in the same story when talking about running errands or navigating the city.
| Yesterday I looked for my friend and crossed at the traffic light. | Ayer busqué a mi amigo y crucé por el semáforo. |
| I handed the money for the fine to the boss. | Le entregué el dinero de la multa a la jefa. |
