vio
/byo/
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Ella vio una película anoche.
A1She saw a movie last night.
¿Usted vio lo que pasó?
A2Did you (formal) see what happened?
El niño vio a su mamá y sonrió.
A1The boy saw his mom and smiled.
Nadie vio nada.
B1Nobody saw anything.
💡 Grammar Points
A Completed Past Action
'Vio' is used to talk about seeing something that happened once and is now finished. Think of it like a snapshot of a past event: 'Él vio el coche' (He saw the car) means he saw it at a specific moment, and the action is over.
Who is 'vio' for?
'Vio' is the past tense form for 'he', 'she', 'it', or the formal 'you' (usted). The person doing the seeing is usually understood from the situation.
❌ Common Pitfalls
'Vio' vs. 'Veía'
Mistake: "Using 'vio' when you mean someone *used to* see something or *was seeing* something over a period of time."
Correction: Use 'vio' for a single, completed action ('Ella vio la explosión' - She saw the explosion). Use 'veía' for repeated or ongoing past actions ('Ella veía pájaros en el parque todos los días' - She used to see birds in the park every day).
⭐ Usage Tips
No Accent Mark!
Unlike many other past tense verbs that end in -o (like 'habló' or 'comió'), 'vio' doesn't have a written accent. Same for 'dio' (from dar). It's a short, one-syllable word.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: vio
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'vio'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't 'vio' have an accent mark like 'comió' or 'bebió'?
Great question! Spanish accent rules say that words with only one syllable don't usually get an accent mark. Since 'vio' (and 'dio' from 'dar', and 'fue' from 'ser'/'ir') is pronounced as a single syllable, it doesn't need one. Words like 'comió' are two syllables (co-mió), so the accent shows where to put the stress.
Can 'vio' mean 'you saw'?
Yes, it can! 'Vio' is the form for 'he saw', 'she saw', 'it saw', and also the formal 'you saw' (usted vio). You can usually tell who the person is from the rest of the conversation.