variar Preterite Conjugation
variar — to change
The preterite of variar is regular: varié, variaste, varió, variamos, variasteis, variaron.
variar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use this tense to point to a specific moment in the past when something changed or was modified once.
Notes on variar in the Preterite
Variar is regular in the preterite. Unlike the present tense, the 'i' does not take an extra accent mark beyond the standard endings.
Example Sentences
Ayer varié el menú del restaurante.
Yesterday I varied the restaurant menu.
yo
Los resultados no variaron mucho.
The results didn't vary much.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Ella varió su discurso al final.
She varied her speech at the end.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Adding an accent to the 'i' like 'varié' (e.g., *variíe).
Correct: varié
Why: Learners often try to carry over the present tense 'í' stress, but the preterite follows standard -ar rules.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'variar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: varío
The present of variar features a stressed 'í' in most forms: varío, varías, varía, variamos, variáis, varían.
Imperfect
yo: variaba
The imperfect of variar is regular: variaba, variabas, variaba, variábamos, variabais, variaban.
Future
yo: variaré
The future of variar is regular: variaré, variarás, variará, variaremos, variaréis, variarán.
Conditional
yo: variaría
The conditional of variar is regular: variaría, variarías, variaría, variaríamos, variaríais, variarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: varíe
The present subjunctive of variar carries a stressed 'í': varíe, varíes, varíe, variemos, variéis, varíen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: variara
The imperfect subjunctive of variar is regular: variara, variaras, variara, variáramos, variarais, variaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: varía
The imperative of variar uses the stressed 'í' for commands: varía, varíe, variemos, variad, varíen.
Negative Imperative
yo: no varíes
The negative imperative uses present subjunctive forms: no varíes, no varíe, no variemos, no variéis, no varíen.