Three stylized figures standing side-by-side, all gazing intently upward at a large, vibrant rainbow arching across a blue sky.

vieron

byé-ron

verbA1irregular er

they saw?past action completed by a group,you (plural, formal) saw?past action completed by a formal group

Also:they watched?referring to a TV show or movie,they noticed?to perceive or realize something

Quick Reference

infinitivever

gerundviendo

past Participlevisto

📝 In Action

Ellos vieron la película anoche en el cine.

They saw the movie last night at the cinema.

¿Ustedes vieron quién dejó la puerta abierta?

Did you all (formal) see who left the door open?

Cuando vieron el resultado, se quedaron sin palabras.

When they saw (realized) the result, they were speechless.

Word Connections

Synonyms

observaron (they observed)
miraron (they looked at)

Antonyms

ignoraron (they ignored)
perdieron (they missed)

Common Collocations

vieron la luz – they saw the light (were born or realized something)
vieron el partido – they watched the game

Idioms & Expressions

vieron las estrellas – they were in intense pain (literally: they saw stars)

💡 Grammar Points

Identifying the Subject

The form 'vieron' refers to a group of people: 'ellos' (they, masculine/mixed), 'ellas' (they, feminine), or 'ustedes' (you all, formal). You usually don't need the pronoun if the subject is clear.

Preterite Tense Function

'Vieron' is used for actions that started and finished completely in the past, like a single event or a specific time frame ('last night,' 'yesterday').

❌ Common Pitfalls

Preterite vs. Imperfect

Mistake: "Usando 'veían' para una acción única: 'Ellos veían la película anoche.'"

Correction: Use 'vieron' for a single completed event: 'Ellos vieron la película anoche.' 'Veían' (imperfect) describes habitual actions or background scenery.

Missing Accent Marks

Mistake: "Adding an accent mark: 'víeron'"

Correction: The preterite forms of 'ver' are unique because they do not carry accent marks, making 'vieron' correct as written.

⭐ Usage Tips

Seeing vs. Watching

While 'mirar' means 'to look,' 'ver' (and thus 'vieron') is used for 'to see,' 'to watch TV/movies,' or 'to meet up with someone' (informally).

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedve

yoveo

túves

ellos/ellas/ustedesven

nosotrosvemos

vosotrosveis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedveía

yoveía

túveías

ellos/ellas/ustedesveían

nosotrosveíamos

vosotrosveíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedvio

yovi

túviste

ellos/ellas/ustedesvieron

nosotrosvimos

vosotrosvisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedvea

yovea

túveas

ellos/ellas/ustedesvean

nosotrosveamos

vosotrosveáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedviera/viese

yoviera/viese

túvieras/vieses

ellos/ellas/ustedesvieran/viesen

nosotrosviéramos/viésemos

vosotrosvierais/vieseis

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: vieron

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'vieron' to describe a single, finished action in the past?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

ver(to see) - verb

vista(sight/view) - noun

visión(vision) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'vieron' not have an accent mark when many other preterite forms do?

'Vieron' is a special case. The verb 'ver' (to see) and 'dar' (to give) have preterite forms that do not follow the standard accent rules for -er and -ir verbs. This is an irregularity you just need to memorize: no accents on any form of the preterite of 'ver' (vi, viste, vio, vimos, visteis, vieron).

Can 'vieron' refer to 'you all'?

Yes. In most of Latin America and in formal settings in Spain, 'ustedes' (you all) is used, and it takes the third-person plural conjugation, which is 'vieron'.