abrí
ah-BREE
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Abrí la puerta con la llave que me diste.
A1I opened the door with the key you gave me.
Ayer abrí mi primer negocio en el centro de la ciudad.
A2Yesterday, I opened (started) my first business in the city center.
Cuando abrí los ojos, el sol ya había salido.
A1When I opened my eyes, the sun had already come up.
💡 Grammar Points
The Preterite Tense
The form 'abrí' is the simple past tense (called Preterite). You use it for actions that started and finished completely in the past, like a single event: 'I opened the window (and then I stopped opening it).'
❌ Common Pitfalls
Preterite vs. Imperfect
Mistake: "Using 'abría' when you mean 'abrí'."
Correction: Use 'abrí' for one-time, completed actions ('I opened the letter'). Use 'abría' (Imperfect) for actions that were ongoing or habitual ('I used to open the store every day').
⭐ Usage Tips
Stress Location
Notice the accent mark on the 'i' (abrí). This means the stress falls on the last syllable, which is typical for the 'yo' form in the simple past tense of -er and -ir verbs.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: abrí
Question 1 of 2
Which Spanish verb is 'abrí' a conjugation of?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'abrí' an irregular verb?
No, 'abrir' is a regular verb in Spanish. This means it follows the standard pattern for -ir verbs in almost all tenses, including the simple past tense ('abrí').
How do I know if I should use 'abrí' or 'abría'?
'Abrí' (simple past) describes a single action that finished: 'Abrí la caja' (I opened the box). 'Abría' (imperfect past) describes repeated actions or background context: 'Abría la caja todos los días' (I used to open the box every day).