A person sits at a wooden desk. A sheet of paper on the desk is covered in simple, illegible lines, and a quill pen rests beside it, indicating that the writing task is finished.

escribió

es-kree-BYOH

Verb formA1regular (in the preterite) ir

wrote?He, She, or Formal You completed the action of writing

Also:penned?Used for literature or letters

Quick Reference

infinitiveescribir

gerundescribiendo

past Participleescrito

📝 In Action

Ella escribió una carta a su abuela la semana pasada.

She wrote a letter to her grandmother last week.

El periodista escribió el artículo en solo una hora.

The journalist wrote the article in only an hour.

Usted escribió la mejor propuesta, por eso ganó el contrato.

You (formal) wrote the best proposal, that's why you won the contract.

Word Connections

Synonyms

redactó (drafted)
anotó (jotted down)

Common Collocations

escribió un libro – wrote a book
escribió una nota – wrote a note

💡 Grammar Points

A Completed Past Action

This form, 'escribió', is part of the Preterite tense. You use it when talking about an action that was finished at a specific time in the past (e.g., yesterday, last year, that afternoon).

Who Did the Action?

'Escribió' is used for a third person singular person (he, she, or it) or for the formal 'you' (usted). Context usually tells you who the speaker means.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Preterite vs. Imperfect

Mistake: "Using 'escribía' when referring to a single, completed action."

Correction: Use 'escribió' (Preterite) for actions that happened once and are over. 'Escribía' (Imperfect) describes continuous actions or habits in the past.

⭐ Usage Tips

Focus on the End Result

If the focus is on the fact that the writing was successfully completed (e.g., 'The email is done'), use 'escribió'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: escribió

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'escribió'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

escribir(to write) - verb

escrito(written) - adjective/noun

escritor(writer) - noun

escritura(writing/script) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'escribió' irregular?

No, not in this tense! The Preterite tense of 'escribir' follows the standard pattern for '-ir' verbs. The only irregularity in the verb 'escribir' is its Past Participle form, which is 'escrito' (not 'escribido').

How do I know if 'escribió' means 'he wrote' or 'she wrote'?

You need context! Spanish often leaves out the subject (he/she) because the verb ending tells you who did the action. Look at the surrounding sentences to see if the subject is 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), or 'usted' (formal you).