# The y forms: leyó, cayó, construyó

> id: conjugation.preterite.y-spelling · category: conjugation · depth: standard · levels: A2, B1 · review: internally_reviewed

**Summary.** When an unstressed i lands between vowels, it is written y: leer → leyó, leyeron; construir → construyó; gerund leyendo, construyendo.

Verbs whose stem ends in a vowel (leer, caer, oír, creer) can't write i between vowels in the preterite third person: the -ió/-ieron endings become -yó/-yeron. Leer → leyó, leyeron; oír → oyó, oyeron.

Verbs in -uir do the same and extend the y into the whole present: construyo, construyes... construyó, construyeron; huir → huyó.

The y also appears in the gerund (leyendo, cayendo, construyendo) and the imperfect subjunctive (leyera, construyera). The other preterite persons take a written accent instead: leí, leíste, leímos.

## Examples
- Leyó el contrato entero. — She read the whole contract.
- Construyeron el edificio en dos años. — They built the building in two years.
- Oí un ruido extraño. — I heard a strange noise. *(Accent, not y, in the first person.)*

Related: conjugation.preterite.regular, conjugation.progressive.gerund-irregular

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