volVISte

Volviste is the second-person singular form of the Spanish verb volver in the preterite indicative. It means “you returned” or “you came back” and is used to describe a completed action in the past when the subject is tú (informal you). It can appear in narration, dialogue, or reports of past events. The preterite contrasts with the imperfect (volvías) for ongoing past actions, and with future forms (volverás) for actions that have not yet occurred.

Etymology and form: Volver derives from the Latin verb volvēre, meaning to roll back or return. In Spanish, volviste follows the regular preterite endings for -er verbs in the tú form, with an accent on the yo form (volví) and an accent on the third-person singular (volvió) to signal stress. The tú form volviste carries no written accent, since the natural stress falls on the penultimate syllable vol-VIS-te.

Conjugation overview (preterite, indicative) for volver:

yo volví, tú volviste, él/ella/Ud. volvió, nosotros volvimos, vosotros volvisteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. volvieron. The form volviste is used specifically with the implied subject tú.

Usage notes: In standard Spanish, volviste is common in Spain and Latin America alike. In formal situations, one might instead use volvieron or volvió when addressing usted, or use volví a return with different pronouns.

Examples:

- Ayer volviste tarde a casa.

- ¿Volviste de la tienda ya?

- Después de la reunión, volvimos al trabajo.

Volviste is a frequently encountered verb form, essential for describing past actions directed at the second-person singular.