Elegir preterite conjugation
Elegir in the preterite: elegí, elegiste, eligió, elegimos, elegisteis, eligieron.
- to choose; to elect
- stem-changing (e→i) + spelling change (g→j)
- Participle: elegido
- Gerund: eligiendo
Preterite pretérito
| yo | elegí |
|---|---|
| tú | elegiste |
| él/ella/usted | eligió |
| nosotros | elegimos |
| vosotros | elegisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | eligieron |
How to use elegir in the preterite
In the preterite, only the third person changes e to i: eligió, eligieron. The others keep the e: elegí, elegiste, elegimos. Use it for a decision made at a specific time and for election results: La eligieron alcaldesa en 2019. In interviews, ¿Por qué eligió esta empresa? is a classic question.
Examples
¿Por qué eligió nuestra empresa para su primera práctica?
Why did you choose our company for your first internship?
La eligieron presidenta de la asociación por unanimidad.
They elected her president of the association unanimously.
Elegí esta carrera porque me gusta ayudar a la gente.
I chose this career because I like helping people.
Quick check: elegir in the preterite
More elegir tenses
- All elegir tenses
- Elegir present
- Elegir imperfect
- Elegir future
- Elegir conditional
- Elegir present subjunctive
- Elegir affirmative commands
Other verbs in the preterite
Know your verbs, now find your level
Take a free placement test and get your CEFR level, then follow the grammar lessons that fit it.