Oí

Oí is the first‑person singular preterite form of the Spanish verb oír, meaning “I heard.” It is used to describe a completed act of hearing in the past and is one of several preterite forms that the verb oír takes.

Oír is an irregular verb in the preterite. The standard preterite forms are: yo oí, tú oíste, él oyó, nosotros oímos, vosotros oísteis, ellos oyeron. Notably, the third‑person singular form is oyó, while the first‑ and second‑person forms retain the i with an accent in the yo and tú forms. The stem and endings reflect the general irregular pattern of oír in different tenses, including a spelling change in the third person (oyó, oyó). In other tenses, oír has additional irregularities, but oí specifically denotes a past hearing.

In usage, oí appears in sentences such as “Oí un ruido” (I heard a noise) or “Oí que venías” (I heard that you were coming). It is a common verb form encountered in everyday Spanish, expressing perception by hearing in the past.

Etymology and related forms: oír comes from the Latin audire, meaning to hear. The verb is closely related to other sensory verbs in Spanish and has a range of compound and progressive forms throughout various tenses.

See also: oír, Spanish verbs, preterite tense.