What verb is “fui” in Spanish?

Fui can come from two Spanish verbs: ser (“to be”) and ir (“to go”).

In the preterite past tense, ser and ir have the same forms. That means fui can mean either “I was” or “I went.” The surrounding sentence tells you which verb it is.

Fui = ir

Fui al mercado.
I went to the market.

Here, fui describes going somewhere, so it comes from ir.

Fui = ser

Fui profesor durante diez años.
I was a teacher for ten years.

Here, fui describes what someone was, so it comes from ser.

Quick clue

If fui is followed by a + a destination or activity, it usually comes from ir. If it identifies or characterizes what someone was, it comes from ser. Context ultimately determines the meaning.

Ser and ir share the same preterite forms

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