Inklingo

How to Say "you spoke" in Spanish

English → Spanish

hablaste

/ah-BLAHS-teh//aˈβlaste/

Verb (conjugated form)A1Informal
Use 'hablaste' when you are directly addressing one person informally (using 'tú') and referring to a completed action in the past.
A high quality storybook illustration showing a young person facing the viewer. A large, stylized blue sound wave shape is visibly emanating from their mouth, indicating that they are speaking or have just spoken.

Examples

¿Con quién hablaste por teléfono anoche?

Who did you speak to on the phone last night?

Hablaste muy rápido y no te entendí.

You spoke very fast and I didn't understand you.

Me dijiste que no hablaste con nadie sobre el secreto.

You told me that you didn't talk to anyone about the secret.

The 'Tú' Past Tense

Hablaste is the 'you' form (tú, informal) used when talking about a single, completed action in the past. It tells a story about something that happened and finished.

Regular -AR Pattern

Since 'hablar' is a regular -AR verb, the 'tú' past tense always ends in -aste (e.g., 'compraste', 'estudiaste'). This pattern is very reliable!

Mixing Past Tenses

Mistake: “Tú hablaba ayer.”

Correction: Tú hablaste ayer.

habló

VerbA1Formal
Use 'habló' when referring to a third-person singular subject (he, she, it, or formal 'usted') performing a completed action in the past, OR when directly addressing someone formally (using 'usted').

Examples

Mi hermano habló con el director ayer.

My brother spoke with the director yesterday.

Informal vs. Formal 'You'

The most common mistake is confusing 'hablaste' (informal 'tú') with 'habló' when it's used for the formal 'usted'. Remember, when you are speaking directly to the person you are addressing, 'hablaste' is for friends and family, while 'habló' is for strangers or authority figures.

Related Translations

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