Spanish 2 / Unit 2: The Preterite of Regular Verbs
2.3 Spelling Changes: -car, -gar, -zar
Notes
In the yo form only, some verbs change spelling to keep the same sound.
| Ending | Change | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -car | c → qu | buscar → busqué |
| -gar | g → gu | llegar → llegué |
| -zar | z → c | empezar → empecé |
- Other verbs: tocar (toqué), sacar (saqué), pagar (pagué), jugar (jugué), almorzar (almorcé), comenzar (comencé).
- All other forms are regular: tú buscaste, ella llegó.
- Example: Yo practiqué guitarra y llegué tarde.
Practice
Yo ___ (buscar) mis llaves ayer.
Verbs ending in -car change c → qu in the yo form.
Yo ___ (empezar) la tarea a las cinco.
Verbs ending in -zar change z → c before é.
Why does "tocar" become "toqué" in the yo form?
Without the change, ce would sound like "se" or "the" instead of "ke".
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