volvió
/bol-vee-OH/
he/she/it returned
Volvió (He/she/it returned). The child has returned home after an outing.
volvió(Verb (Past Tense Conjugation))
he/she/it returned
?to a place
,he/she/it came back
?after an absence
you (formal) returned
?Usted form
📝 In Action
Mi hermana volvió de viaje el lunes pasado.
A1My sister returned from her trip last Monday.
¿Vio a Carlos? Volvió al trabajo después de una semana.
A2Did you see Carlos? He came back to work after one week.
Volvió la paz al vecindario cuando se fueron.
B1Peace returned to the neighborhood when they left.
💡 Grammar Points
A Single Past Action
'Volvió' is the preterite tense, which Spanish speakers use for actions that started and finished clearly in the past, like a single event or trip.
Pronoun Subject
This form always refers to a third-person singular subject: 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), 'eso' (it), or 'usted' (formal you).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing the Past Tenses
Mistake: "Using 'volvía' when describing a single return."
Correction: Use 'volvió' for a single, completed return (e.g., 'He returned at 8 PM'). 'Volvía' means 'He used to return' or 'He was returning' (repeated or ongoing past action).
⭐ Usage Tips
The Accent Mark
The accent on the 'ó' is crucial! It tells you the stress falls there, distinguishing 'volvió' (he returned) from 'volvio' (which isn't a word, but would sound like a simple, non-stressed syllable).
Volvió (He/she/it turned). A hand turns the wooden block over.
volvió(Verb (Past Tense Conjugation))
he/she/it turned
?rotated or flipped an object
,he/she/it changed
?turned into something else (figurative)
he/she/it drove (someone) crazy
?in the phrase 'volver loco'
📝 In Action
La cocinera volvió la tortilla en la sartén.
B1The cook flipped the omelet in the frying pan.
La noticia lo volvió completamente melancólico.
B2The news made him completely melancholy (literally: turned him melancholy).
El perro se asustó y volvió la cabeza de golpe.
A2The dog got scared and turned its head suddenly.
💡 Grammar Points
Transitive Action
In this sense, 'volvió' is often transitive, meaning it needs an object that receives the action (e.g., 'He turned [what?] the page').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up 'Volver' and 'Volverse'
Mistake: "Using 'Volvió feliz' (meaning he returned happy) instead of 'Se volvió feliz' (meaning he became happy)."
Correction: When you mean 'to become' or 'to change state' you usually need the reflexive form, 'se volvió'. 'Volvió' alone means he physically returned or turned something else.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: volvió
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'volvió' to mean 'to return'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'volvió' have an accent mark?
The accent mark on the 'ó' is essential to show where the emphasis falls. In the Spanish past tense (preterite) for 'er' and 'ir' verbs, the 'él/ella/usted' form always has the stress on the final 'ó' (vol-VIÓ). Without the accent, it would be mispronounced.
Is 'volver' regular or irregular?
'Volver' is considered an irregular verb because its stem changes from 'o' to 'ue' in the present tense (e.g., 'yo vuelvo'). However, in the preterite tense, where 'volvió' comes from, the stem is regular ('volv-') but it maintains the irregular stress pattern common to the third person preterite.