Inklingo

How to Say "you did" in Spanish

English → Spanish

hiciste

/ee-SEES-teh//iˈsis.te/

VerbA1General
Use 'hiciste' when referring to a specific, completed action in the past that you performed. It's the most common way to say 'you did' for a definite past event.
A smiling young person proudly holding up a sheet of paper displaying a freshly drawn, brightly colored picture of a flower, symbolizing the completion of an action.

Examples

¿Qué hiciste ayer?

What did you do yesterday?

¿Qué hiciste ayer por la tarde?

What did you do yesterday afternoon?

Hiciste un pastel delicioso para mi cumpleaños.

You made a delicious cake for my birthday.

Me encantó el dibujo que hiciste.

I loved the drawing you made.

A Key Past Tense Form

'Hiciste' is a form of the 'pretérito' tense, which talks about completed actions in the past. Use it for things that had a clear beginning and end, like 'Ayer, hiciste la cena' (Yesterday, you made dinner).

Who are you talking to?

This form is specifically for talking to 'tú' – one person you know well, like a friend, sibling, or classmate. For someone you'd address formally as 'usted', you would use 'hizo'.

Confusing 'hiciste' and 'hacías'

Mistake: “Cuando eras niño, siempre hiciste la tarea.”

Correction: Cuando eras niño, siempre hacías la tarea. Use 'hiciste' for a one-time, completed action. For repeated actions or habits in the past (like something you 'always' or 'used to' do), use 'hacías'.

hicieras

ee-SEE-eh-ras/iˈθje.ɾas/

VerbB1Formal/Literary/Conditional
Use 'hicieras' in dependent clauses, often expressing a hypothetical or conditional situation, or in a past subjunctive context. It implies 'if you were to do' or 'that you did' in a non-factual or requested way.
A person wearing cleaning gloves stands next to a window that has been completely cleaned and is sparkling brightly in the sun.

Examples

Si me lo pidieras, yo lo hicieras con gusto.

If you asked me (to), I would do it gladly.

No creía que tú hicieras ese tipo de cosas.

I didn't believe that you did that kind of thing.

Fue una pena que no hicieras el examen final.

It was a shame that you didn't take the final exam.

The Hypothetical Past

"Hicieras" (the imperfect subjunctive) is often used after 'si' (if) to set up a hypothetical situation that is contrary to fact or unlikely, paired with the conditional tense.

Irregular Stem

The verb 'hacer' is highly irregular. Notice how the 'hic-' stem appears in the preterite (past simple) and the subjunctive forms.

Using the Indicative in Conditional Sentences

Mistake: “Si tú hacías esto, estaríamos bien.”

Correction: Si tú hicieras esto, estaríamos bien. (We must use the subjunctive form, 'hicieras', after 'si' when expressing a hypothetical condition.)

Completed Action vs. Hypothetical

The most common mistake is using 'hicieras' for simple past actions. Remember, 'hiciste' is for what *actually happened* and was completed, while 'hicieras' is for what *might have happened* or was requested hypothetically.

Related Translations

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