conseguir Preterite Conjugation
conseguir — to get
Conseguir undergoes a stem change (e to i) in the third-person forms of the preterite: consiguió and consiguieron.
conseguir Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite when you successfully obtained something at a specific moment in the past, like 'getting' a job or 'achieving' a specific goal.
Notes on conseguir in the Preterite
This is a 'slipper verb.' While the endings are standard for -ir verbs, the 'e' in the stem changes to 'i' only in the third-person singular (él/ella/usted) and plural (ellos/ellas/ustedes).
Example Sentences
Por fin conseguí las entradas para el concierto.
I finally got the tickets for the concert.
yo
Ella consiguió el trabajo que tanto quería.
She got the job she wanted so much.
él/ella/usted
Ellos consiguieron permiso para salir temprano.
They got permission to leave early.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: conseguio
Correct: consiguió
Why: Learners often forget the 'i' stem change and the accent mark on the final 'o' for the third person.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'conseguir' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: consigo
Conseguir is a stem-changing (e to i) verb in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect
yo: conseguía
Conseguir is regular in the imperfect: conseguía, conseguías, conseguía, conseguíamos, conseguíais, conseguían.
Future
yo: conseguiré
Conseguir is completely regular in the future tense: just add the endings to the infinitive.
Conditional
yo: conseguiría
The conditional of conseguir is regular: conseguiría, conseguirías, conseguiría, conseguiríamos, conseguiríais, conseguirían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: consiga
The present subjunctive of conseguir uses the 'i' stem change in ALL forms: consiga, consigas, consiga, consigamos, consigáis, consigan.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: consiguiera
The imperfect subjunctive is based on the preterite 'ellos' form: consiguiera, consiguieras, consiguiera, consiguiéramos, consiguierais, consiguieran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: consigue
The imperative uses the 'i' stem change for most commands: consigue (tú), consiga (usted), consigamos (nosotros), consigan (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no consigas
The negative imperative uses the present subjunctive: no consigas, no consiga, no consigamos, no consigáis, no consigan.