recibió
reh-see-BYOH
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Mi hermano recibió una beca para estudiar en Madrid.
A2My brother received a scholarship to study in Madrid.
La empresa recibió una queja formal del cliente.
B1The company received a formal complaint from the client.
¿Usted recibió el mensaje que le envié anoche?
A1Did you (formal) receive the message I sent you last night?
El paquete recibió daños durante el transporte.
B2The package sustained damage during transport. (Literally: The package received damages.)
💡 Grammar Points
The Preterite Tense
'Recibió' tells you that the action of receiving was a completed event in the past, like a finished chapter. If you want to talk about ongoing or habitual past actions, you would use 'recibía' (the Imperfect).
Who Received?
This form always refers to a single person or thing: 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), 'usted' (you, formal), or 'eso' (it/the thing). Context tells you who the subject is.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Missing the Accent
Mistake: "Escribir 'recibio' sin tilde."
Correction: The accent mark on the 'ó' is essential: 'recibió'. This accent tells your listener (or reader) that the stress falls on the last syllable, which is the defining sound for the completed past tense (Preterite) for -ar and -ir verbs.
⭐ Usage Tips
Easy Regular Conjugation
Since recibir is a regular verb, you can use the pattern of 'recibió' (the past tense ending -ió) as a guide for many other common -ir verbs like vivir (vivió) and abrir (abrió).
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: recibió
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'recibió' to describe a single, finished action in the past?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
If 'recibió' is the past tense, how do I say 'He receives' (present tense)?
The present tense form is 'recibe' (without the accent). Example: 'Él recibe correo electrónico todos los días.' (He receives email every day.)
Can 'recibió' refer to more than one person?
No. 'Recibió' is strictly for one person (he, she, or formal you). If you are talking about two or more people, you must use 'recibieron' (they received).