construir Preterite Conjugation
construir — build
The preterite of construir is irregular in the third person, swapping 'i' for 'y' (construyó, construyeron).
construir Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to describe the completion of a building project or the moment something was established. It implies the construction is finished.
Notes on construir in the Preterite
This verb follows the 'i to y' rule for -ir verbs ending in a vowel. In the third person (él/ella/usted and ellos/ellas/ustedes), the 'i' changes to 'y' between the vowels.
Example Sentences
Mi abuelo construyó esta casa con sus propias manos.
My grandfather built this house with his own hands.
él/ella/usted
Construyeron el puente en menos de un año.
They built the bridge in less than a year.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Nosotros construimos una cabaña el verano pasado.
We built a cabin last summer.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'construió' or 'construieron'.
Correct: construyó / construyeron
Why: In Spanish, an unstressed 'i' between two vowels must change to a 'y'.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'construir' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: construyo
In the present tense, construir adds a 'y' before the ending in all forms except 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'.
Imperfect
yo: construía
The imperfect of construir is regular, following the standard -ía endings for -ir verbs.
Future
yo: construiré
The future tense of construir is completely regular, using the full infinitive as the stem.
Conditional
yo: construiría
The conditional of construir is regular, adding -ía endings to the infinitive.
Present Subjunctive
yo: construya
The present subjunctive of construir uses the 'y' from the 'yo' form: construya, construyas, etc.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: construyera
The imperfect subjunctive is based on the preterite 'ellos' form: construyeran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: construye
The imperative uses 'construye' for 'tú' and 'construya/n' for formal commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no construyas
The negative imperative always uses the present subjunctive forms: no construyas, no construya.