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A single white flower lying peacefully on a dark wooden surface.

fallecer Preterite Conjugation

fallecerto pass away

B2irregular (spelling change) -er★★★
Quick answer:

The preterite of fallecer is regular: fallecí, falleciste, falleció, fallecimos, fallecisteis, fallecieron.

fallecer Preterite Forms

yofallecí
falleciste
él/ella/ustedfalleció
nosotrosfallecimos
vosotrosfallecisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesfallecieron

When to Use the Preterite

Use the preterite to report the specific moment or date someone passed away. It is the standard tense for obituaries and news reports.

Notes on fallecer in the Preterite

Fallecer is completely regular in the preterite. It follows the standard -er endings.

Example Sentences

  • El autor falleció el año pasado.

    The author passed away last year.

    él/ella/usted

  • Sus abuelos fallecieron hace mucho tiempo.

    Their grandparents passed away a long time ago.

    ellos/ellas/ustedes

  • Fallecí un poco por dentro cuando me dio la noticia.

    I died a little inside when he gave me the news.

    yo

Common Mistakes

  • Mistake: Using 'fallezió' or 'fallecio' without an accent.

    Correct: falleció

    Why: The third-person singular needs the accent on the 'ó' to indicate the past tense; otherwise, it is mispronounced.

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