Have you ever wanted to say “I came” in Spanish but wondered if the past tense of venir is vení, vine, or something else? This is a common problem for Spanish learners because venir is an irregular verb, so its past tense forms do not follow the usual pattern.
The good news is that the most common past tense of venir is easy to remember once you learn its irregular stem and endings. In the Spanish preterite, venir means “to come,” and its forms are based on vin , not ven .
This guide explains the venir past tense clearly, including its preterite conjugation, sentence structures, uses, examples, common mistakes, and practice exercises.
You will also learn the difference between vine, viniste, vino, vinimos, vinisteis, and vinieron, so you can use venir naturally when talking about completed actions in the past.
Quick Answer
The past tense of venir in the Spanish preterite is an irregular form based on vin . It means “came” in English.
| Subject | Preterite Form |
|---|---|
| yo | vine |
| tú | viniste |
| él/ella/usted | vino |
| nosotros/as | vinimos |
| vosotros/as | vinisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | vinieron |
Example:
Ayer vine a tu casa.
Yesterday, I came to your house.
What Is the Venir Past Tense?
Venir is a Spanish verb meaning “to come.” When you want to talk about someone coming at a completed time in the past, you can use the preterite tense, also called the pretérito indefinido or pretérito perfecto simple.
The preterite of venir is irregular because the verb changes from ven to vin .
For example:
Yo vine temprano.
I came early.
Ella vino ayer.
She came yesterday.
Mis amigos vinieron a la fiesta.
My friends came to the party.
The most important pattern to remember is:
venir → vin → vine, viniste, vino, vinimos, vinisteis, vinieron
The verb is used when the action of coming is viewed as completed.
Structure of Sentences of the Venir Past Tense
The basic word order for affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences is straightforward.
Affirmative Sentences
Subject + preterite form of venir + complement
Yo vine a la escuela.
I came to school.
Carlos vino temprano.
Carlos came early.
The subject can be omitted because the verb ending often tells you who performed the action.
Vine temprano.
I came early.
Negative Sentences
Subject + no + preterite form of venir + complement
Yo no vine ayer.
I did not come yesterday.
Ellos no vinieron a la reunión.
They did not come to the meeting.
In Spanish, no normally comes directly before the conjugated verb.
Interrogative Sentences
¿ + preterite form of venir + complement + ?
¿Viniste a la fiesta?
Did you come to the party?
¿Vino María ayer?
Did María come yesterday?
Spanish questions can often use the same basic word order as statements, with question marks and context showing that it is a question.
Formation of the Venir Past Tense
The preterite of venir is irregular. Instead of keeping the normal ven stem, it changes to vin .
The conjugation is:
- yo → vine
- tú → viniste
- él/ella/usted → vino
- nosotros/nosotras → vinimos
- vosotros/vosotras → vinisteis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes → vinieron
Why Is Venir Irregular?
Regular Spanish verbs follow predictable preterite patterns. Venir does not.
The stem changes:
ven → vin
It then takes the characteristic endings associated with irregular preterite verbs of this type.
Notice that the third person singular form is:
vino
not:
vinió ❌
And the third person plural is:
vinieron
not:
vinieron is correct, while *vinieron with an extra accent or alternative ending is incorrect.
Contractions
Spanish does not use English style contractions such as didn’t for the preterite of venir. To make the sentence negative, simply place no before the verb.
No vine.
I didn’t come.
No vinieron.
They didn’t come.
How to Use the Venir Past Tense
The preterite of venir is mainly used for completed acts of coming in the past.
1. A Completed Action
Use venir in the preterite when someone came to a place and the action is viewed as completed.
Vine a tu oficina ayer.
I came to your office yesterday.
Ella vino a mi casa.
She came to my house.
2. A Specific Past Time
The preterite commonly appears with expressions that identify a finished past time.
Common expressions include:
- ayer yesterday
- anoche last night
- la semana pasada last week
- el lunes on Monday
- hace dos días two days ago
- el año pasado last year
Examples:
Vine aquí ayer.
I came here yesterday.
Mis padres vinieron la semana pasada.
My parents came last week.
3. A Single Visit or Arrival
Use the preterite when you are describing one completed occasion of coming.
Juan vino a la reunión.
Juan came to the meeting.
¿Viniste a mi cumpleaños?
Did you come to my birthday?
4. A Sequence of Past Events
The preterite is useful when venir is one completed event among several past actions.
Llegué a casa, cené y vino mi hermano.
I arrived home, had dinner, and my brother came.
5. Negative Past Actions
To say that someone did not come, place no before the verb.
No vine a clase ayer.
I did not come to class yesterday.
Ellos no vinieron al partido.
They did not come to the game.
Venir Past Tense Conjugation Table
| Subject | Venir Preterite | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | vine | I came |
| tú | viniste | you came |
| él/ella/usted | vino | he/she/you came |
| nosotros/as | vinimos | we came |
| vosotros/as | vinisteis | you all came |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | vinieron | they/you all came |
Easy Pattern to Remember
The most useful memory pattern is:
vine → viniste → vino → vinimos → vinisteis → vinieron
Pay special attention to:
- vine for yo
- vino for él/ella/usted
- vinieron for ellos/ellas/ustedes
Real Life Venir Past Tense Examples
Here are practical examples showing how Spanish speakers can use venir in everyday situations.
Affirmative Examples
- Vine temprano a la oficina.
I came to the office early. - Viniste a mi casa ayer.
You came to my house yesterday. - María vino a la escuela.
María came to school. - Vinimos juntos al restaurante.
We came to the restaurant together. - Mis amigos vinieron a la fiesta.
My friends came to the party. - Usted vino en el momento correcto.
You came at the right time.
Negative Examples
- No vine a clase ayer.
I did not come to class yesterday. - No viniste al trabajo.
You did not come to work. - Ella no vino a la reunión.
She did not come to the meeting. - No vinimos el lunes.
We did not come on Monday. - Ellos no vinieron a la fiesta.
They did not come to the party.
Question Examples
- ¿Viniste a la escuela ayer?
Did you come to school yesterday? - ¿Vino tu hermano?
Did your brother come? - ¿Vinimos demasiado temprano?
Did we come too early? - ¿Vinieron tus amigos?
Did your friends come?
Everyday Conversation
¿Viniste en autobús?
Did you come by bus?
Sí, vine en autobús.
Yes, I came by bus.
¿Por qué no viniste ayer?
Why didn’t you come yesterday?
No vine porque estaba enfermo.
I didn’t come because I was sick.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using vení for the Spanish Preterite
❌ Yo vení ayer.
✅ Yo vine ayer.
Vine is the correct first person singular preterite form of venir.
Mistake 2: Using venió
❌ Ella venió a mi casa.
✅ Ella vino a mi casa.
The third person singular form is vino, not venió.
Mistake 3: Using viniste With they
❌ Ella viniste ayer.
✅ Ella vino ayer.
Viniste is the tú form.
Tú viniste ayer.
For él, ella, or usted, use vino.
Mistake 4: Using vinimos for They
❌ Ellos vinimos temprano.
✅ Ellos vinieron temprano.
Vinimos means we came.
Vinieron means they came or you all came.
Mistake 5: Adding an Incorrect Accent
❌ Ellos viníeron.
✅ Ellos vinieron.
The correct spelling is vinieron, without an accent mark.
Mistake 6: Confusing Venir With Ir
Venir means to come, while ir means to go.
Vine a tu casa.
I came to your house.
Fui a tu casa.
I went to your house.
The choice depends on the direction or perspective being expressed.
Key Grammar Rules
Rule 1: Venir Is Irregular in the Preterite
Do not form the preterite by simply adding regular endings to ven .
Remember:
venir → vin
Yo vine.
Rule 2: The Yo Form Is Vine
Vine a la escuela.
I came to school.
Do not use vení for the preterite of venir.
Rule 3: The Él/Ella/Usted Form Is Vino
Ella vino temprano.
She came early.
This form is vino, not venió.
Rule 4: The Nosotros Form Is Vinimos
Nosotros vinimos juntos.
We came together.
Rule 5: The Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes Form Is Vinieron
Ellos vinieron ayer.
They came yesterday.
Rule 6: Use No for Negatives
Place no before the conjugated verb.
No vine ayer.
I didn’t come yesterday.
Rule 7: The Preterite Describes Completed Past Actions
Vine a la reunión ayer.
I came to the meeting yesterday.
The action is presented as a completed event.
Comparisons With Similar Grammar Forms
Venir Preterite vs Venir Imperfect
The preterite usually presents coming as a completed past event.
Vine a tu casa ayer.
I came to your house yesterday.
The imperfect can describe a past situation or repeated/background action.
Venía a tu casa cada verano.
I used to come to your house every summer.
So:
vine → came, completed event
venía → was coming / used to come, depending on context
Venir Preterite vs Venir Present
The present tense describes coming in the present.
Vengo a tu casa.
I am coming to your house.
The preterite describes a completed past action.
Vine a tu casa.
I came to your house.
Venir vs Ir
These verbs are closely related but express different directions.
Venir = to come
Vine a tu casa.
I came to your house.
Ir = to go
Fui a tu casa.
I went to your house.
Learners often confuse these verbs because English can sometimes use come and go differently depending on the speaker’s perspective.
Venir Preterite vs Llegar Preterite
Both verbs can describe arriving, but they are not identical.
Venir focuses on the movement of coming toward a reference point.
Vino a mi casa.
He came to my house.
Llegar focuses more directly on reaching or arriving at a destination.
Llegó a mi casa.
He arrived at my house.
Exercises
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct preterite form of venir.
- Yo ________ a tu casa ayer.
- Tú ________ muy temprano.
- María ________ a la reunión.
- Nosotros ________ juntos.
- Ellos ________ el sábado.
- Usted ________ a tiempo.
Exercise 2: Correct the Mistakes
- Yo vení ayer.
- Ella venió a la fiesta.
- Nosotros vinieron temprano.
- Ellos vinimos a la escuela.
- Tú vino ayer.
Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Answer
- Yo ___ a casa ayer.
a) vine
b) vino
c) vinieron - Ella ___ a la fiesta.
a) vine
b) vino
c) viniste - Nosotros ___ juntos.
a) vinimos
b) vinieron
c) vino - Ellos ___ el lunes.
a) vinisteis
b) vinieron
c) vine - Tú ___ muy temprano.
a) vino
b) viniste
c) vinimos
Exercise 4: Translate Into Spanish
- I came yesterday.
- She came to my house.
- We came together.
- They did not come to school.
- Did you come to the party?
Answer Key
Exercise 1
- vine
- viniste
- vino
- vinimos
- vinieron
- vino
Exercise 2
- Yo vine ayer.
- Ella vino a la fiesta.
- Nosotros vinimos temprano.
- Ellos vinieron a la escuela.
- Tú viniste ayer.
Exercise 3
- a) vine
- b) vino
- a) vinimos
- b) vinieron
- b) viniste
Exercise 4
- Vine ayer.
- Ella vino a mi casa.
- Vinimos juntos.
- Ellos no vinieron a la escuela.
- ¿Viniste a la fiesta?
FAQs
What is the past tense of venir?
The most common past tense form learners mean is the preterite. Its forms are vine, viniste, vino, vinimos, vinisteis, and vinieron.
What does vine mean in Spanish?
Vine means “I came.” It is the first person singular preterite form of venir.
Vine ayer.
I came yesterday.
Is venir irregular in the past tense?
Yes. Venir is irregular in the preterite. Its stem changes from ven to vin .
What is the tú form of venir in the preterite?
The tú form is viniste.
Viniste a mi casa.
You came to my house.
What is the él, ella, or usted form of venir?
The form is vino.
Ella vino ayer.
She came yesterday.
What is the nosotros form of venir?
The nosotros/nosotras form is vinimos.
Vinimos juntos.
We came together.
What is the ustedes or ellos form of venir?
The form is vinieron.
Ellos vinieron temprano.
They came early.
What is the difference between vine and venía?
Vine is the preterite and normally presents a completed past event.
Vine ayer.
I came yesterday.
Venía is the imperfect and can describe an ongoing, habitual, or background past situation.
Venía cada semana.
I used to come every week.
How do you say “I did not come” in Spanish?
Say:
No vine.
Spanish uses no before the conjugated verb to make this negative.
How do you say “Did you come?” in Spanish?
Say:
¿Viniste?
You can add more information:
¿Viniste a la fiesta?
Did you come to the party?
Conclusion
The venir past tense is an important Spanish grammar form because venir is a common verb used in everyday conversations.
In the preterite, it is irregular and changes from ven to vin . The six forms are vine, viniste, vino, vinimos, vinisteis, and vinieron.
The easiest way to remember the pattern is to focus on the stem vin and then learn each subject form.
Remember that vine means “I came,” viniste means “you came,” vino means “he/she/you came,” and vinieron means “they/you all came.”
Practice these forms in short, real life sentences instead of memorizing them alone. Once you can naturally say sentences such as “Vine ayer,” “Ella vino temprano,” and “¿Viniste a la fiesta?”, using the preterite of venir will become much easier.
Hi, I’m Noah Bester, a tenses expert passionate about simplifying English grammar. I create practical, easy-to-understand guides to help learners master tenses with confidence. My goal is to make grammar clear, useful, and applicable in everyday communication. tenseshub.com
