volvieron

Volvieron is a Spanish verb form that serves as the third-person plural preterite (simple past) of volver, meaning they returned or went back. It is used to describe a completed action in the past carried out by ellos, ellas, or ustedes. The form can occur in various contexts, from returning to a place to resuming a prior state or action when combined with other elements.

As a standalone verb, volver expresses returning to a location or situation. It is often followed by a prepositional phrase such as a + place: “volvieron a casa,” “volvieron al pueblo.” The construction “volver a + infinitive” indicates doing something again: “volvieron a intentarlo” (they tried again). In contrast, the reflexive counterpart volverse (to become) is used to denote a change of state, and its third-person plural past form is “se volvieron” (they became).

Etymology traces volver to the Latin volvĕre, meaning to roll or turn, with the sense of turning back or returning evolving over time. The preterite volver forms are irregular in some tenses, but volvieron follows the standard -er verb preterite endings for ellos/ellas/ustedes.

Usage notes: volvieron appears in narrative or report-style sentences to place past actions in time. It can be complemented by adverbials, places, or additional verbs to convey repetition, return, or resumed activity. Understanding its distinction from volverse (which requires a reflexive pronoun se in the past) helps prevent misinterpretation of messages about returning versus becoming.