Volver (to return) · Preterite
By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated
Volver in the Spanish preterite (pretérito indefinido) is: yo volví, tú volviste, él/ella/usted volvió, nosotros/as volvimos, vosotros/as volvisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes volvieron. The preterite of volver is fully regular for an -er verb. The o→ue stem change of the present DOES NOT apply in the preterite — only -ir stem-changers (sentir, dormir, pedir) carry their stem changes into the preterite.
| To Return | Volver |
|---|---|
| I returned | yo volví |
| you returned | tú volviste |
| he/she returned | él/ella/usted volvió |
| we returned | nosotros/as volvimos |
| you returned | vosotros/as volvisteis |
| they returned | ellos/ellas/ustedes volvieron |
Volver (to return) in context
Sentences that use volver in the preterite. Tap each to hear it.
I came home very late last night.
When did you come back from your trip?
My sister came back very happy from the concert.
We came back walking in the rain.
You came back just in time for dinner.
The soldiers returned home in December.
Working with the preterite
The preterite describes a finished past action with a clear boundary — "ayer comí pizza" (yesterday I ate pizza). The key contrast is with the imperfect, which describes ongoing or repeated past actions without a defined endpoint. If you can substitute "used to" or "was doing" in English, you usually want the imperfect; if the action is one-and-done, you want the preterite. The irregular preterites (fui, hice, dije, tuve, vine, supe) are the highest-frequency in Spanish — front-load them.
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate volver in the preterite?
Why doesn't volver have an irregular preterite like poder?
Should I use 'volví' (preterite) or 'volvía' (imperfect)?
Practice Volver (To Return) in real conversations
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