perseguir Preterite Conjugation
perseguir — to chase
Perseguir has a third-person stem change (e > i) in the preterite: persiguió and persiguieron.
perseguir Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite when the chase or pursuit had a definite beginning and end, like a specific incident where someone was followed or a goal was finally achieved.
Notes on perseguir in the Preterite
This is a 'slipper verb.' While most forms are regular, the third-person singular (él/ella) and plural (ellos/ellas) change the 'e' to 'i'. Also, notice the 'u' remains to keep the 'g' sound hard.
Example Sentences
La policía persiguió al ladrón por tres calles.
The police chased the thief for three blocks.
él/ella/usted
Ayer perseguí mis sueños y envié la solicitud.
Yesterday I pursued my dreams and sent the application.
yo
Los perros persiguieron al gato hasta el árbol.
The dogs chased the cat to the tree.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: perseguio
Correct: persiguió
Why: Learners often forget the 'e' to 'i' stem change that occurs in the third person for -ir verbs.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'perseguir' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: persigo
Perseguir has an 'e > i' stem change in all forms except nosotros and vosotros, plus a 'go' ending in the 'yo' form.
Imperfect
yo: perseguía
Perseguir is regular in the imperfect: perseguía, perseguías, perseguía...
Future
yo: perseguiré
Perseguir is regular in the future tense: just add endings to the full infinitive.
Conditional
yo: perseguiría
The conditional of perseguir is regular: add -ía endings to the infinitive.
Present Subjunctive
yo: persiga
The present subjunctive uses the 'persig-' stem: persiga, persigas, persiga...
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: persiguiera
The imperfect subjunctive is based on the third-person preterite stem: persiguiera.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: persigue
Use 'persigue' (tú) or 'persiga' (usted) to tell someone to go after something.
Negative Imperative
yo: no persigas
Negative commands always use the present subjunctive: no persigas, no persiga.