sufrió
/soo-FREE-oh/
suffered
The character suffered great emotional pain, visualized by the tear.
sufrió(Verb (Conjugated Form))
suffered
?experienced physical or emotional pain
,went through
?experienced difficulty
endured
?tolerated hardship
📝 In Action
Ella sufrió mucho por la pérdida de su mascota.
A2She suffered a lot over the loss of her pet.
El equipo sufrió una derrota inesperada ayer.
B1The team suffered an unexpected defeat yesterday.
¿Usted sufrió algún daño en el accidente?
B1Did you (formal) suffer any damage in the accident?
💡 Grammar Points
The Simple Past Action
‘Sufrió’ is the 'Pretérito' tense, used when the action of suffering started and finished completely at a specific point in the past.
Who Did the Action?
This form always refers to a singular subject: 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), or 'usted' (the formal 'you').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Simple Past vs. Ongoing Past
Mistake: "Using 'sufría' when referring to a single, completed event."
Correction: Use 'sufrió' for a specific event ('Sufrió un accidente ayer'). Use 'sufría' for habitual or long-term suffering ('Sufría de dolores de cabeza frecuentemente').
⭐ Usage Tips
Focus on the Result
Because this is the simple past, the focus is often on the consequence or the result of the suffering, not just the duration.
The organism underwent a complete change during its metamorphosis.
sufrió(Verb (Conjugated Form))
underwent
?experienced a process or change
sustained
?received damage or injury
📝 In Action
El puente sufrió daños estructurales tras el terremoto.
B1The bridge sustained structural damage after the earthquake.
La empresa sufrió una reestructuración completa el año pasado.
B2The company underwent a complete restructuring last year.
⭐ Usage Tips
Impersonal Subjects
In this sense, the subject is often an inanimate object, like 'el edificio' (the building) or 'el sistema' (the system), describing the negative effect or change it experienced.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: sufrió
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'sufrió' to describe a completed action?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'sufrió' a regular or irregular verb form?
'Sufrió' comes from the verb 'sufrir,' which is a regular '-ir' verb in the simple past tense (Pretérito). This means the stem (sufr-) does not change, making it easy to conjugate.
What is the difference between 'sufrió' and 'padeció'?
Both mean 'suffered.' 'Sufrió' (from sufrir) is very common and general. 'Padeció' (from padecer) is slightly more formal and is usually reserved for prolonged or serious physical or mental ailments (like chronic illness or deep grief).