How to Say "gave permission" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “gave permission” is “permitió” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
El director nos permitió salir temprano hoy.
The director allowed us to leave early today.
Ella no permitió que su hijo jugara con fuego.
She did not permit her son to play with fire.
La nueva ley permitió la construcción de más viviendas.
The new law allowed the construction of more housing.
A Specific Completed Action
‘Permitió’ is used when the action of allowing happened once and was finished at a specific point in the past. Think of it as a single event on a timeline.
Who Did the Action?
This form always refers to a third person singular subject: 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), or 'usted' (the formal 'you'). It can also refer to an object like 'el sistema' (the system) or 'la regla' (the rule).
Mixing Past Tenses
Mistake: “Usando 'permitía' cuando es una acción específica.”
Correction: Use 'permitió' for a specific, single permission given (e.g., 'Ayer, el jefe me permitió irme'). Use 'permitía' only for repeated or habitual actions in the past (e.g., 'Antes, mi madre me permitía todo').
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