miré
mee-RAY
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Miré el reloj y ya eran las diez.
A1I looked at the clock and it was already ten.
Ayer miré una película muy triste.
A1Yesterday I watched a very sad movie.
¿Viste la Luna? Sí, la miré por la ventana.
A2Did you see the Moon? Yes, I looked at it through the window.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Yo' Past Action
This form, 'miré,' tells you that the person speaking ('I') completed the action of looking or watching at a specific point in the past.
Preterite Tense
The Preterite is used for actions that had a clear beginning and end. Think of it like a photograph of a single past event: 'I looked (and then I stopped looking).'
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Past Tenses
Mistake: "Usando 'Yo miraba la película' when the action was completed."
Correction: Use 'Yo miré la película' if you watched the whole thing once. 'Miraba' means 'I used to watch' or 'I was watching' when something else interrupted it.
⭐ Usage Tips
The Accent is Essential
The accent mark over the 'e' is critical! Without it, 'mire' means 'that I look' (a special wish form) or 'look!' (a command to Usted). The accent makes it the simple past 'I looked.'
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: miré
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'miré' to describe a single, finished action?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'miré' need an accent mark?
The accent mark is essential because it shifts the stress to the last syllable, which is a characteristic of the 'yo' form in the simple past tense for regular -ar verbs. It also helps distinguish it from other verb forms like 'mire'.
If 'mirar' means 'to look,' how do I say 'I saw'?
While 'miré' can sometimes mean 'I saw' in the context of directing your gaze, the most common and direct translation for 'I saw' (the action of seeing) is 'vi,' which comes from the verb 'ver'.