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Buscar Preterite Practice

Buscar (to look for, to search, to pick up) in the preterite: 14 free exercises with an explanation after every answer, plus the full conjugation table.

•14 exercises•Spelling change c→qu•A1 – A2 level
IWhat to watch for

The preterite of buscar is regular in sound, but the yo form needs a spelling change: busqué, with qu to keep the hard c before e. The rest is regular: buscaste, buscó, buscamos, buscasteis, buscaron. Buscé is a spelling mistake.

The preterite tells finished searches (ayer busqué las llaves por toda la casa), how long they lasted (los bomberos buscaron toda la noche) and single moments of looking something up: busqué la dirección en el mapa.

IIConjugation
buscarPreterite
yo
busqué
tú
buscaste
él / ella / usted
buscó
nosotros
buscamos
vosotros
buscasteis
ellos / ustedes
buscaron
Regular in sound; c becomes qu before e to keep the hard c: busqué, and the whole subjunctive (busque).

Download the buscar conjugation worksheet (PDF) — free, with answer key

48 exercises on buscar across 8 tenses on one printable worksheet: each tense opens with its conjugation table, and the answer key with short explanations is at the end. Fits A4 and US Letter. Free for classroom use — no sign-up.

Download PDF
IIIPractice exercises

Practice.

Answer first, then read the explanation. Don't skip it — that's the whole point.

Exercise 01 of 14Tag: Spelling change (yo)
Fill in the blank

Ayer yo _____ las llaves por toda la casa y estaban en mi bolsillo. (buscar)

Yesterday I looked for my keys all over the house and they were in my pocket.

Exercise 02 of 14Tag: Tú form
Fill in the blank

¿_____ tú ayer el número en internet antes de llamar? (buscar)

Did you look up the number online yesterday before calling?

Exercise 03 of 14Tag: Duration
Fill in the blank

Mi abuelo _____ trabajo durante meses cuando llegó a Alemania. (buscar)

My grandfather looked for work for months when he arrived in Germany.

Exercise 04 of 14Tag: Sequence
Fill in the blank

El verano pasado _____ una casa rural y encontramos una preciosa. (buscar)

Last summer we looked for a country cottage and found a lovely one.

Exercise 05 of 14Tag: Duration
Fill in the blank

El domingo, los bomberos _____ a los excursionistas toda la noche. (buscar)

On Sunday, the firefighters searched for the hikers all night.

Exercise 06 of 14Tag: Spelling change (yo)
Fill in the blank

Cuando vi el anuncio, _____ la dirección en el mapa. (buscar)

When I saw the advert, I looked up the address on the map.

Exercise 07 of 14Tag: Tú form
Fill in the blank

¿_____ tú anoche en los bolsillos del abrigo? Allí suelo dejar las llaves. (buscar)

Did you look in the coat pockets last night? That's where I usually leave the keys.

Exercise 08 of 14Tag: Sequence
Fill in the blank

El detective _____ pistas en la escena del crimen y encontró una huella. (buscar)

The detective searched the crime scene for clues and found a fingerprint.

Exercise 09 of 14Tag: Duration
Fill in the blank

Ayer mi novio y yo _____ un restaurante abierto durante una hora. (buscar)

Yesterday my boyfriend and I spent an hour looking for a restaurant that was open.

Exercise 10 of 14Tag: Ellos form
Fill in the blank

Los investigadores _____ una explicación, pero no la encontraron. (buscar)

The researchers looked for an explanation, but they didn't find one.

Exercise 11 of 14Tag: Vosotros form
Fill in the blank

¿_____ vosotros ayer información sobre el museo? (buscar)

Did you (all) look up information about the museum yesterday?

Exercise 12 of 14Tag: Tense contrast
Fill in the blank

Normalmente no busco ofertas, pero ayer _____ vuelos baratos toda la tarde. (buscar)

I don't usually hunt for deals, but yesterday I spent the whole afternoon looking for cheap flights.

Exercise 13 of 14Tag: Idiom
Fill in the blank

En la fiesta de anoche, aquel chico se _____ problemas por hablar demasiado. (buscar)

At last night's party, that boy got himself into trouble by talking too much.

Exercise 14 of 14Tag: Single event
Fill in the blank

Anoche los vecinos _____ al perro perdido por todo el barrio. (buscar)

Last night the neighbours searched the whole neighbourhood for the lost dog.

Every answer is explained

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