Inklingo

How to Say "you made" in Spanish

English → Spanish

hiciste

/ee-SEES-teh//iˈsis.te/

VerbA1General
Use 'hiciste' when referring to a specific, completed action of creation or doing in the past, often in a direct question about what someone did.
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 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/

VerbB1General
Use 'hicieras' when referring to an action of creation or preparation that was hypothetical, desired, or dependent on another condition in the past.
A pair of hands carefully places the final decorative item on top of a freshly baked, colorful cake.

Examples

Esperaba que tú hicieras un pastel para la fiesta.

I was hoping that you would make a cake for the party.

Si ella te pidiera que hicieras un dibujo, ¿lo harías?

If she asked you to make a drawing, would you do it?

Requesting Creation

When you express a past request or desire for someone to create something, 'hicieras' is the correct form to use after the influencing verb (e.g., 'pedir' or 'esperar').

Simple Past vs. Imperfect Subjunctive

Learners often confuse 'hiciste' (simple past indicative) with 'hicieras' (imperfect subjunctive). Remember that 'hiciste' refers to a definite, completed action, while 'hicieras' is used for actions that were not necessarily completed or were dependent on a condition or desire.

Related Translations

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