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Spanish Language & Culture | Preterite vs. Imperfect

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A variation of Ricitos #1. This time fill in the correct forms of the preterite or the imperfect. Great practice with lots of irregular verbs.

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Trying to decide when to use the Preterite and when to use the Imperfect is one of the challenges of learning these two tenses. Review the uses of the Imperfect and the Preterite, and make a chart for yourself listing the differences.

The Imperfect past tense is used to describe a scene while the Preterite is used to list series of completed actions. It can be a little more subtle, especially with verbs that change meaning depending on the tense.

You will use the Imperfect

When you "set a scene" describing what your house or dog used to look like and what your family was like. Think of looking at a photograph and describing the people in it and what they were doing. Since the photograph is static, the people in it can't start doing something different. So you can only describe the scene you see.

When you are describing what people were doing (in the process of doing) or used to do or when you describe what it was like when you arrived at the party last night.

However, the stories that occur within these settings happen in the Preterite! (which we will look at after our example.)

For example, let's set a scene:

Eran las nueve de la noche. Era viernes. Hacía mal tiempo. Llovía. Todos estábamos en casa. Mamá y Papá miraban la televisión; yo leía una novela de StarTrek; mi hermana hablaba por teléfono con su novio en su cuarto. Esnupi (nuestro perro) dormía detrás del sillón en la sala.

It was 9:00 at night. It was Friday. It was bad weather. It was raining. We were all at home. Mom and Dad were watching television; I was reading a StarTrek novel; my sister was talking on the phone with her boyfriend in her room. Esnupi (our dog) was sleeping behind the armchair in the living room.

This has all been written in the Imperfect.

But now let's get to the action:

De repente, ¡Entró un ladrón! Pasó por la escalera y caminó hasta la recámara de mis padres. Miró en el cuarto cuando oyó la voz de mi hermana. Se volvió y bajó las escaleras. Trató de huir de la casa, pero Esnupi se despertó y mordió la pierna del ladrón.

Suddenly, a robber entered! He went upstairs and walked down to my parent's bedroom. He looked in the room but then he heard my sister's voice. He turned and went down the stairs. He tried to flee the house, but Esnupi woke up and bit the robber's leg.

This is a series of actions in the Preterite which happened within the setting established by the Imperfect.

The focus of the Preterite is on completed action(s). The Imperfect focuses on a state of being.

Let's look at some examples:

I ate my dinner (and I finished it)

I was eating my dinner...[when something happened]
-or- I used to eat my dinner...

She had to -and did- return the shirt.

She had to return the shirt (She was supposed to return it - but we don't know if she did or not.)

Some verbs have different meanings in the Imperfect and Preterite forms:

Examples of how these verbs change in meaning:

Quise hacerlo pero no pude. Quería ir a la playa cada fin de semana. Y por no trabajar los fines de semana, podía ir frecuentemente.

I tried to do it but I failed (to do it)

I wanted to go to the beach every weekend. And because I didn't work weekends, I was able to go frequently.

I met her last year.

We knew each other for three months before marrying.

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Trying to decide when to use the Preterite and when to use the Imperfect is one of the challenges of learning these two tenses. Review the uses of the Imperfect and the Preterite, and make a chart for yourself listing the differences.

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Spanish: Know Your Preterite vs. Imperfect

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Choose either preterite or imperfect based on the characteristics given

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Welcome 😊 to our grammar lesson on the topic of Vs. in Spanish. Choosing between these 2 past tenses is usually a challenge for Spanish learners.

In this lesson you will learn to choose between them, and to mix them sentences and paragraphs. We will practice the topic with several exercises.

A sentence that mixes the Imperfect and the Preterite

For clarity, we will associate the color orange with Preterite, and green with Imperfect.

We also have Note: a separate lesson for each tense, where we explain their conjugations and provide more examples:

Preterite vs Imperfect - The difference

We use both Preterite and Imperfect to talk about the past, but in different ways.

In general...

The is the tense for main actions. It answers the question: "What happened?".

The Imperfect is the tense for background information. It answers the question: "What was going on?".

So basically the Imperfect sets the stage for the action, and the Preterite narrates the action.

Let's study the uses of each tense separately.

As we said, the is the tense for main actions. It answers the question: "What happened?". That's the basic idea.

Also, there are some specific cases where we always choose the Preterite over the Imperfect. For example:

actions that happened a stated number of times

actions with a stated duration

a chain of events, one after another

verbs for beginnings and endings ("empezar, terminar..."), tend to be in Preterite and not Imperfect.

Examples:

Juan una lavadora ayer.
Juan bought a washing machine yesterday. (this answers the question "What happened?")

El año pasado enfermo dos veces.
Last year I was sick twice. (number of times is stated, so we can confidently choose the Preterite)

diez años en Perú.
I lived in Peru for ten years. (duration is stated, so we can confidently choose the Preterite)

Ayer, Laura a las siete de la mañana. Luego se duchó, desayunó, se vistió y a hacer la compra.
Yesterday, Laura got up at seven in the morning. Then she took a shower, ate breakfast, got dressed, and went shopping. (a chain of events one after another, so we can confidently choose the Preterite)

La película a las diez.
The movie started at ten o'clock. (expresses a beginning or ending, so it is likely in Preterite and not Imperfect)

The is the tense for background information. It answers the question: "What was going on?".

Typical cases where we use it are:

descriptions of people (physical or psychological), things and places

ongoing situations and habitual actions in the past (without stating an exact number of times)

time frames: date, time, age...

Examples:

Cuando yo era niño, mi padre en una fábrica. Todos los días tarde a casa.
When I was a child, my father worked in a factory. Every day he would come home late. (ongoing situation, habitual actions without stating an exact number of times)

Cuando yo 20 años...
When I was 20 years old... (time frame: age)

Preterite and Imperfect in the same sentence

If a sentence expresses 2 actions that happened at the same time, but one took longer than the other, the longer action tends to be in Imperfect, because it is considered "background information". The shorter action tends to be in Preterite.

We can understand it better with the following graph:

"Yesterday there was good weather, so I went out". The ongoing, longer action in Imperfect Tense. The main shorter action in Preterite.

Examples:

Now that we know the theory, let's practice choosing between the Spanishand thewith some exercises.

Exercise 1: Choose Preterite or Imperfect

In the following sentences, try to guess if the verb should be in Preterite (orange) or (green).

Click on the grey spaces to see the solutions, and then read the analysis where we explain the reason for every choice.
Analysis of each sentence
1) This sentence simply expresses what happened ➡

4) Description of a person ➡

Exercise 2: Preterite and Imperfect in the same sentence

Each of these sentences includes two verbs, one in and one in . Try to guess the tenses, then read our analysis:
Analysis
Exercise 3: A story

Finally, here is a paragraph that constantly mixes and .

Try to guess the tenses and then read our analysis:

La princesa Isabel era (1) rubia y muy guapa. Vivía (2) en un gran castillo. Pero tenía (3) 25 años y aún no tenía (4) un esposo. Un día, un príncipe llegó (5) desde un reino lejano. Era (6) un poco feo, pero también simpático y divertido. Invitó (7) a la princesa a pasar el día con él, y ella aceptó (8). Montaron (9) a caballo, navegaron (10) por un lago y se hicieron (11) regalos. Por la noche, mientras miraban (12) las estrellas, él le preguntó (13) si quería (14) casarse con él. La princesa dijo (15) que no, y el príncipe regresó (16) a su reino.
Princess Isabel was (1) blonde and very pretty. She lived (2) in a big castle. But she was (3) 25 years old and still didn't have (4) a husband. One day a prince arrived (5) from a faraway kingdom. He was (6) a bit ugly, but also nice and funny. He invited (7) the princess to spend the day with him, and she accepted (8). They rode (9) horses, sailed (10) on a lake and gave (11) each other presents. At night, as they were looking (12) at the stars, he asked (13) her if she wanted (14) to marry him. The princess said (15) no and the prince returned (16) to his kingdom.
Analysis
1) Description of her looks ➡

5) A prince arrived. A main action that happened ➡

13 and 14) This one is a bit tricky. If we consider these two actions, him asking is the shorter one. Her wanting (or not wanting) is, in comparison, longer: her feelings about him at the time ➡ 13 is and 14 is .

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Spanish PRETERITE Vs. IMPERFECT - Learn and Practice!

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Welcome 😊 to our grammar lesson on the topic of Vs. in Spanish. Choosing between these 2 past tenses is usually a challenge for Spanish learners. In this lesson you will learn to choose between them, and to mix them sentences and paragraphs. We will practice the topic with several exercises.

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Preterite vs. Imperfect #1 || Conjuguemos

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Practice your Spanish grammar in this graded fill-the-blank activity that focuses on: Preterite vs. Imperfect #1.

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Choose from the past tense verbs using the preterite or the imperfect- Cuidado!! There may be an infinitive as well!

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To be honest, learning the differences between the two Spanish past tenses was ridiculously difficult for me, as I had lived my whole life speaking English, where verb tenses are not nearly as clearly defined. Today, I'll make it easier for you by explaining the differences that I learned as I was mastering Spanish verb tenses.

Here's a little help from our friend Jordan at Gringo Español

Spanish Preterite Tense

The preterite is used when referring to actions that were completed in the past. When you use the preterite, it also implies that the action had a definite beginning and a definite end. In English, you might say a sentence like Yesterday I cleaned the house for two hours-in this sentence, the timeframe is very specific. Translating this sentence into Spanish, you would use the preterite tense. Another example of the preterite might be I ate five strawberries.

Preterite -ar endings

For regular -ar verbs, to form the preterite you drop the -ar and replace it with the correct preterite ending. Here's an example with the verb caminar (to walk):

Preterite -er/ir endings

We do the same thing will verbs ending in -er and -ir. Here's an example with the verb comer (to eat):

Irregular Preterite Verbs

Of course, some verbs will have irregular conjugations in the preterite. Some of the most common of these include: ser, ir, dar, hacer, estar, poner, tener, haber, querer, venir, andar, poder, and saber. You will need to memorize the six preterite forms for each of these irregular verbs.

Irregular Preterite Verbs

Spanish Imperfect Tense

The imperfect is used to denote an action that took place in the past, but the specifics of the timeframe are left up in the air. We use the imperfect in English, too.

For example:

They were eating dinner when I arrived.

Using "were" plus the gerund denotes the imperfect past in English. Here, we know that the action of eating dinner took place in the past, but it does not have a definite beginning or end, nor does it matter for the sentence's purpose. We don't know when they stopped eating dinner, but in this sentence it doesn't matter because we are more focused on the fact that they were eating.

Another example of the imperfect in English might be:

I used to go fishing with my dad.

"I used to go" denotes that something used to occur before but now it doesn't. Again when using the imperfect we don't care so much about the details of what happened (when I do, how did I, when did I stop going) the important fact in this sentence is that there was a time when I would go but I no longer go anymore.

Imperfect -ar endings

When forming the imperfect for a regular -ar verb, drop the -ar just like in the preterite conjugation but this time we add the imperfect ending. Here's an example using caminar again:

Imperfect -er/-ir endings

Same deal with -er/-ir endings, just drop the infinitive ending and add the imperfect. Here's an example using comer again:

Irregular Imperfect Verbs

Luckily, there are only three verbs that are irregular in the imperfect past: ser, ver, and ir.

Irregular Imperfect Verbs

Some Verbs Change Meaning Depending on Tense

For some verbs, using it in the preterite versus the imperfect can create a slightly different meaning. Compare the translations of these sentences in the preterite versus in the imperfect:

Distinguishing Between Preterite and Imperfect

What you did vs What you were doing

The basic rule of thumb when it comes to figuring out which tense to use is that the preterite talks about things you did, and the imperfect talks about things you were doing at some point in time, or that you used to do. With some practice, this is fairly easy to remember. Consider these examples:

Toqué el piano - I played the piano (and I finished the action).

Yo tocaba el piano - I used to play the piano; or, you are saying that you were playing the piano when setting the scene for a story.

Me comí la manzana - I ate the apple. The action is complete.

Yo comía la manzana - I was eating the apple (when something else happened).

Yo leí el libro - I read the book (and now I'm done).

Yo leía el libro - I was reading the book (and the start and end times don't matter).

What happened vs The way things were

Another way to look at it is that the preterite is for talking about things that happened in the past, while the imperfect is for the way things were in the past. Using the same sentences:

Toqué el piano - I played the piano (yesterday, or that night, or whatever specific timeframe context provides)

Yo tocaba el piano - I used to play the piano at some point in the past, but I don't anymore.

Me comí la manzana - I ate the apple (yesterday night).

Yo comía manzanas - I used to eat apples (and maybe I don't anymore).

Yo leí el libro - I read the book.

Yo leía libros - I used to read books.

Use context clues

When reading or listening to Spanish, you can use context clues to figure out whether a verb phrase is in the preterite or imperfect tense. Certain temporal phrases are associated with either the preterite or the imperfect. You can also learn these phrases to help you express yourself better.

Phrases that hint toward the preterite:

ayer - yesterday

anoche - last night

después - afterward

durante dos semanas - for two weeks

el mes pasado - last monthel

otro día - the other day

en ese momento - at that moment

entonces - then

esta tarde - this afternoon

hace dos días - two days ago

Phrases that hint toward the Imperfect:

a menudo - often

a veces - sometimes

cada día - every day

muchas veces - many times

nunca - never

siempre - always

todos los días - every day

todo el tiempo - all the time

varias veces - several times

Mastering the Two Spanish Past Tenses

Practice make perfect

One of the most efficient ways to master any Spanish grammatical concept is to practice with another person who can give you feedback and constructive criticism. Story-telling is an excellent form of practicing verb tenses.

Try telling a story to your tutor or friend and having them correct you on your mistakes. Then, have them tell you a story in return, and pay attention to their choice of verb tense.

Another way you can get the hang of Spanish grammar is to watch your favorite TV shows and movies, but turn on Spanish subtitles. Pay attention to the sentences in English that are past tense, and make note of which verb tense they use in the Spanish subtitle.

Other media, such as Spanish-language movies or even videos like these can solidify your Spanish skills. Practice quizzes are also enormously helpful, such as this one.

Conclusion

Distinguishing between the preterite and the imperfect is one of the most challenging aspects of learning Spanish, and it's also one the most important. That being said, it's not impossible. With a little know how and a lot of practice you should be able to use both with no problems

Leave a comment if you have any questions about these two slightly tricky verb forms!

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To be honest, learning the differences between the two Spanish past tenses was ridiculously difficult for me, as I had lived my whole life speaking English, where verb tenses are not nearly as clearly defined. Today, I'll make it easier for you by explaining the differences that I learned as I was mastering Spanish verb tenses.

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Duolingo: Learn Spanish, French and other languages for free

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Duolingo is the world's most popular way to learn a language. It's 100% free, fun and science-based. Practice online on duolingo.com or on the apps!

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An introduction to the proper use of the Preterite vs Imperfect in Spanish.

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Spanish has two simple past tenses: the preterite and imperfect. Both express past actions or states but have different uses. They are not interchangeable. Also, when used together, they follow special rules. There are four verbs in Spanish that also have a different meaning in the preterite.

This article is for those who already know how to conjugate in the preterite and imperfect, but might still be confused on when to use which. Also, using the preterite and the imperfect together in the same narrative requires some finesse and judgement.

Using the Preterite

The preterite tense expresses an action that was completed at some time in the past. Specific uses are:
To talk about a series of past actions:
Me levanté, limpié el garaje y me fui al cine. (I got up, cleaned the garage, and went to the movies.)
To talk about the beginning or the end of a past occurrence:
La pelicula empezó a las ocho. (The movie began at 8:00.)
To talk about things viewed as completed:
Compraste el coche hace dos meses. (You bought the car two months ago.)

Using the Imperfect

The imperfect tense expresses an action or state of being that was continuous during the past and its completion is not specified. (The word "imperfect" suggests the idea of "incomplete.") Specific uses are:
To describe an action that a person did habitually in the past:
Cuando estábamos en Washington, íbamos al cine todos los Domingos. (When we were in Washsington, we used to go to the movies every Sunday.)
To describe an action without reference to any beginning or end:
Juan tenía resfriados constantemente. (Juan constantly had colds.)
To talk about an action that was going on in the past simultaneously with another:
Mi hermano leía y mi padra comía. (My brother was reading and my father was eating.)
To describe physical, emotional and mental states or conditions:
Estaba tan enojado que quería gritar. (I was so angry that I wanted to shout.)
To tell time
Eran las siete y media de la tarde. (It was 7:30 p.m.)

Era la una de la mañana. (It was 1:00 a.m.)

To describe an action or state of being that took place in the past and lasted for a certain length of time prior to another past action. (This is similar to the English use of the past perfect, but in Spanish it is used with the imperfect tense with hacía.)

Hacía cuatro horas que miraba la television cuando mi hermano salió. (I had been watching television for four hours when my brother left.)

Using Both Tenses

Notice in the previous example that the we used the preterite form of salir (salió). This is an example of how we can narrate the past in Spanish. We use the imperfect to say what was going on or what was happening in the background. When the action is interrupted by another action, we use the preterite. Note the switching of tenses in the following narrative:

Mientras estudiaba mi hermano entró. Miré mi reloj. Eran las 8:30. Bajamos las escaleras, y me di cuenta que hacía un poco de frío. (While I was studying, my brother entered. I looked at my watch. It was 8:30. We went down the stairs, and I noticed that it was a little cold.)

Special Preterite Meanings

Four Spanish verbs (conocer, poder, querer and saber) have somewhat different meanings when used in the preterite. Also, notice the slightly different meanings when the preterite forms of poder and querer are used in the negative. These verbs are displayed in the chart on the left.

You can also download the sheet.

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When to Use the Preterite vs. the Imperfect: Spanish Grammar

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Spanish has two simple past tenses: the preterite and imperfect. Both Spanish past tenses express past actions or states, but the preterite and the imperfect tenses have different uses. Also, four Spanish verbs (conocer, poder, querer, and saber) have different meanings in the preterite or when used in the negative.

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What is the difference between the preterite and the imperfect tense and when do I use them? | MyTutor

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The preterite and the imperfect tenses are two forms of the spanish past tense, most verbs can be put into either tense but both convey different ...

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There are various differences between the uses of the preterit and the uses of the imperfect tenses and all uses are in the past.

1. When to use the Preterit Tense- The preterit tense is commonly used to express:

An action that starts and ends in the past

Actions that occur only one time

Conclusions

2. When to use the Imperfect Tense- The imperfect is commonly used to express:

Habits or customs in the past

Describe people, animals, things, and with descriptive situations

To tell age, dates, days, names and hours

What had been happening - Usually expressed in Spanish,Hacía + time + que + imperfect.

Temporary condition of being

With nouns and the verb tener

Actions in progress (imperfect) that are interrupted by another action (in the preterit)- Usually expressed in Spanish, Cuando + preterit + imperfect or vice versa

To tell history or stories

Intention of the actions - Usually expressed in Spanish, Ir + a + infinitive, Querer + infinitive.

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Difference Between Preterit and Imperfect Tenses

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There are various differences between the uses of the preterit and the uses of the imperfect tenses and all uses are in the past. 1. When to use the Preterit Tense- The preterit tense is commonly used to express: An action that starts and ends in the past Actions that occur only one time Conclusions 2.

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In narrations, the most commonly used verb tenses in Spanish are the and the .

Foreground and Background

The preterit ( pretérito) is used in Spanish to answer the question What happened? On the other hand, you will often use the imperfect (What was going on when something else happened? Generally, the imperfecto) if it answers the question preterit is used to relate events while the imperfect is used to describe what was going on in the past, states of being in the past, or past habits.

All this takes on special importance in narration of past actions, when both tenses often occur in the same story. Narrating a story entails both describing a setting (habitual actions, atmosphere, places and people) and recounting a plot or a series of events, actions, changes of feelings or thoughts. In general, all stories have a well delineated plot line of events, the foreground, and a background of supporting details and description.

Notice in the story below most of verbs appear in the preterit because the narrator, Alma, is quickly moving us through the story from one event to the next: the snake bits, she calls to her father, etc. The two moments of background description, andera toda la luz que había, are in the imperfect.

Cuando yo tenía dieciséis años, yo un día
When I was 16 years old, one day I went outside in the afternoon and a coral snake bit me. So I yelled to dad "Dad, Dad, a coral snake bit me" And my dad called our neighbor, they looked for a lamp because that was all the light there was. They went to get the car, they tied me very tightly so that the poison wouldn't flow to the rest of my body and and they immediately picked me up to take me to the hospital. salí en la tarde afuera, y a mí me picó una víbora de coral, entonces, yo grité a mi padre ¡papá, papá me picó un coral! Y mi papá llamó al vecino, buscaron una lámpara, porque era toda la luz que había y bueno, fueron a buscar un carro, me amarraron muy fuerte para que no regara el veneno a mi cuerpo y me levantaron, inmediatamente para el hospital.

This second narration below is very different from the first. There is no preterit used because the narrator, Paul, describes this celebration by painting a picture of the moment but he does not create a storyline.

Cada octubre había una peregrinación grandísima. En toda la carretera, creo que
Every October there was a huge pilgrimage. In the whole road, I think there were twelve lanes, there were no cars, just, the carriage where the doll and the people went. And the car wasn't even turned on, instead they pulled it with ropes. The men, I don't know how they chose them, but it was pulled and people by the thousands filled the street. eran doce carriles, no había carros, nada más la carroza en la que iba la muñeca y toda la gente y ni siquiera ese carro estaba en marcha, sino que lo jalaban con sogas. Los hombres que indicados no sé cómo los escogerían, pero era jalado y la gente de a miles y de a miles, y de a miles llenaban toda carretera.

Meaning Changes

Some verbs like ser, poder, querer, saber, etc. tend to be in the imperfect when narrating the past, since they most likely describe a >past state of being or condition. However, when these verbs occur in the preterit, they indicate a change of state or a change of condition and they can have different meanings.

Time Duration

The preterit is also generally used for activities that lasted for a precise length of time or that happened a precise number of times, with a definite beginning and end. On the other hand, the imperfect is used for indefinite lengths of time. Look at these examples:

Cuando estaba a punto de recibirme, trabajaba como un part-time en una compañía de construcción, acá en Estados Unidos se les dice intership.
When I was about to graduate, I was working as a part-time employee in a construction company, here in the United States they call it an internship.

Adverbs

The following adverbs are commonly associated with each of the past tenses:

But ultimately it is the entire context that determines which of these two past tenses to use and not a given adverb or word. For example, in the sentences below, the same adverb, , is used with both the imperfect or the preterit according to the context.

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Narration: Preterit vs. Imperfect - Spanish Grammar in Context

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In narrations, the most commonly used verb tenses in Spanish are the preterit and the imperfect. Foreground and Background The preterit (pretérito) is used in Spanish to answer the question What happened? On the other hand, you will often use the imperfect (imperfecto) if it answers the question What was going on when something else happened?

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The Imperfect past tense is used to describe a scene while the Preterite is used to list series of completed actions. It can be a little more subtle, especially with verbs that change meaning depending on the tense.

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You already know how to build sentences in Spanish, you distinguish between , you've mastered the present tense and can even use the four porques properly.

But talking about the past might be your first big challenge.

There are two simple past tenses in Spanish: the preterite and past imperfect.

The conjugations and usages are different, causing many learners confusion.

But by the time you finish reading this blog post, you'll know the difference between preterite vs. past imperfect in Spanish, their conjugations, how to use each and more.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Contents

The Difference Between the Preterite and Past Imperfect

Both the preterite and past imperfect tenses describe actions that happened in the past.

But the main difference is that the preterite tense describes completed actions that happened at a specific time, whereas the past imperfect tense is used for actions that don't have a specific ending (such as habitual actions).

For example:

" I went to the beach yesterday" would require the preterite tense

" I used to go to the beach" requires the past imperfect

Now let's look at these two sentences in Spanish, and notice how the meaning slightly changes based on which tense I use:

Yo fui a la playa ayer. (I went to the beach yesterday.)

Yo iba a la playa cuando vivía en México. (I used to go to the beach when I lived in Mexico.)

In the first sentence, I used the preterite tense because the action (going to the beach) happened once, at a specific time-yesterday.

The second sentence has two instances of the imperfect. I used iba instead of fui because "going to the beach" was a routine (or habitual) past action. And vivía (I lived) is in the imperfect tense as well because I lived in Mexico for an ongoing, unspecified amount of time.

Preterite and Past Imperfect Examples

Although both of these tenses are in the past, verbs have slightly different meanings in the preterite and past imperfect.

Here are some examples of verbs in both of these past tenses-as you compare the sentences, remember that verbs in the preterite happened and ended at a specific time, whereas the imperfect past is used for unspecified durations of time and habitual past actions.

Preterite Tense in Spanish

When to Use the Preterite Tense
1. One-time events and completed actions that took place/started and finished at a specific moment in the past
Mi hermano volvió a las 8. (My brother came back at 8:00.)

Ayer comí manzanas. (I ate some apples yesterday.)
2. Completed actions that took place a specific number of times or happened during a certain time period
La semana pasada fui de compras tres veces. (I went shopping three times last week.)

Anoche me desperté dos veces. (I woke up twice last night.)
3. When you need to talk about actions that took place during a specific time period, but are not taking place anymore
Me leí ese libro en tres días. (I read that book in three days.)

Viví en Barcelona durante siete meses. (I lived in Barcelona for seven months.)
4. With the imperfect when describing situations that changed overnight
Estaba soltero hasta que un día conocí a María. (I was single until one day I met María.)

No quería tener hijos pero de un día para el otro cambié de opinión. (I did not want to have children, but I changed my mind overnight.)
5. When describing actions that were part of a chain of events
Me duché, desayuné y me fui al trabajo. (I took a shower, had breakfast and went to work.)

Abrió la carta, la leyó y la tiró a la basura. (He opened the letter, read it and threw it into the trash.)

Preterite Tense Trigger Words

There are several words and phrases that show you must use the preterite tense when they appear in a sentence. They are:

Verbs Commonly Used in the Preterite Tense

(to finish) - Mi hermana terminó su tarea a las nueve y media. (My sister finished her homework at 9:30.)

Preterite Tense Conjugations

Many learners find the preterite tense a bit more difficult than the past imperfect, usually because of the irregular verbs. But once you memorize the endings and practice, they become more and more natural.

But before we tackle irregulars, here are the preterite endings for our regular verbs:

As you can see, the endings for - er and - ir verbs are the same. And except for a couple of letters, the pattern is the same in - ar verbs, making them easy to memorize.

Irregular Preterite Verbs

The four main groups of irregular verbs in the preterite are:
1. Traer, decir and verbs ending in -ucir
The verbs traer (to bring), decir (to say) and all verbs ending in -ucir (such as conducir, producir, traducir etc.) have the following endings:
2. Verbs with stem change

Several verbs undergo a stem change when conjugated in the preterite tense. These are the most common ones:

Even though the stems change, the endings are the same as all other preterite verbs (-e, -iste, -o, etc.).

Here's an example of the verb hacer (to do, to make) conjugated in the preterite. It's the only one of this group with a slight irregularity-the third person singular changes to hiz-.
3. Ser and ir
Ser (to be) and ir (to go) have the same preterite conjugation. So you'll know which verb is being used in a sentence based on context.
4. Orthographically irregular verbs
When conjugated in the preterite, these verbs have a small spelling change in their first-person singular.

It's divided into three subgroups, which we can see below:

Past Imperfect Tense in Spanish

The imperfect is one of those tenses you'll love to learn because it's super regular (only three irregular verbs in the entire tense!) and the endings are easy to remember.

When to Use the Past Imperfect Tense
1. Past actions that were not completed (i.e., actions that lasted in time)
Mi hermano descansaba. (My brother was getting some rest.)

Yo leía un libro. (I was reading a book.)
2. Describing people, things, places and situations in the past
La casa era grande y tenía tres balcones. (The house was big and had three balconies.)

El niño era muy guapo. (The boy was very handsome.)
3. To set the stage for another past action
The second past action will normally need the preterite. It's usually used to say that someone was doing something (imperfect), when all of a sudden something happened (preterite).

In fact, it's very common to see the imperfect of estar followed by the gerund in these contexts.

Yo dormía cuando el teléfono sonó. / Yo estaba durmiendo cuando el teléfono sonó. (I was sleeping when the telephone rang.)

Cuando empezó a llover estábamos en el parque. (We were in the park when it started raining.)
4. When you want to talk about repeated or habitual actions in the past
De pequeño solía leer mucho. (I used to read a lot when I was a child)

Solía ir a casa de mis abuelos cada sábado. (I used to go to my grandparents' house every Saturday.)

(Note that in Spanish you can just say "de pequeño" or "de joven" (When I was young). You don't have to say, even though you can, "Cuando era pequeño" or "Cuando era joven.")
5. When talking about someone's age in the past
Cuando tenía 10 años me rompí una pierna. (When I was 10 years old I broke my leg.)

Fui a los Estados Unidos cuando tenía 15 años. (I went to the United States when I was 15 years old.)
6. When telling the time or talking about time in the past
Eran las 12:00 cuando llamaste. (It was 12:00 when you called.)

Era muy tarde cuando volví a casa. (It was very late when I came back home.)

Imperfect Tense Trigger Words

As with the preterite, there are some words and expressions that automatically trigger the use of the past imperfect in a sentence. Here are the most common ones:

Past Imperfect Tense Conjugations

Here are the endings for regular past imperfect verbs:

As it was the case with the preterite, the endings for -er and -ir verbs are exactly the same (watch out for that accent mark appearing in every person), while -ar verbs are different.

Now come the only three irregular verbs in the imperfect tense.

Take a few minutes and learn them by heart, and you'll have done the hardest part of the job.

How to Practice the Preterite vs. Imperfect in Spanish

Immerse Yourself in Spanish Content

The best way to master grammar concepts like tenses is to hear how native speakers use them naturally. You could start by watching Spanish videos on an immersion program like FluentU, which helps you learn new words and grammar in context through authentic Spanish content with interactive subtitles. While watching a video you can see the Spanish and English translations at the same time, making it easier to spot instances of the preterite and past imperfect.

Take Online Quizzes

There are tons of free online quizzes available with a quick Google search that let you practice the preterite and imperfect. For example, StudySpanish.com offers this free preterite vs. imperfect conjugation quiz where you need to use the right tense and conjugation for a bunch of different phrases.

You can also find plenty of practice videos on YouTube, such as this one.

Try This Practice Exercise

Read the sentences below and conjugate the infinitive verbs into the preterite or imperfect tense, depending on the context. Then, check your answers below:
La niña 1. tener el pelo largo y rubio, y los ojos azules. 2. Mirar por la ventana cuando, de repente, 3. o yer un grito. 4. Darse la vuelta y 5. ver que su madre 6. estar de pie, con las manos cubiertas de sangre.
En aquel tiempo 11. ser normal tener perros en casa, pero mi madre no 12. querer. Todos los días yo le 13. pedir varias veces que me comprara un perro, pero nunca 14. decir que sí. Un día, sin embargo, 15. llegar a casa con el pequeño Chuckles en una caja.
Todos los martes 16. soler ir al cine cuando 17. tener 20 años. Una vez 18. ir con mi hermano y 19. ver una película tan triste que 20. acabar los dos llorando. Solutions and explanations:
1. T enía - We use the imperfect when describing people.

2. Miraba - We use the imperfect when a past action lasted in time.

3. O yó - De repente triggers the preterite.

4. Se dio - One-time, completed events require the preterite.

5. V io - One-time, completed events require the preterite.

6. Estaba - Actions lasting in time and descriptions of situations are expressed with the imperfect.

7. Supo - Finished actions (my grandpa is dead) are expressed with the preterite.

8. Tenía - We use the imperfect with actions that lasted in time (my grandpa's brother was still alive when he died).

9. Sabía - We use the imperfect with actions that lasted in time (at that time my grandma was still alive).

10. Tuvo - We use the preterite because the action was already completed (my grandma's sister was already dead).

11. Era - En aquel tiempo triggers the imperfect.

12. Quería - My mother not wanting to have a dog was an action that lasted in time.

13. Pedía - Todos los días triggers the imperfect.

14. Decía - Nunca triggers the imperfect in this kind of context when the action (or in this case, the lack of action-not saying yes) repeated itself and lasted in time.

15. Llegó - Un día triggers the preterite.

16. Solía - Todos los martes signals a repeated action, and it triggers the imperfect.

17. Tenía - Cuando tenía 20 años is a typical imperfect construction.

18. Fui - Una vez triggers the preterite.

19. Vimos - We use the preterite with one-time, completed actions.

20. Acabamos - The verb acabar (to finish) signals a result or the end of an action, and we express completed actions with the preterite.

Congratulations-you now know everything you need to master the preterite and past imperfect in Spanish!

Don't worry if you can't remember everything now. It may take some time until it sinks in, but I hope you've enjoyed reading this post as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

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Preterite vs Imperfect in Spanish: Differences, Conjugations, Usages and More | FluentU Spanish Blog

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The preterite vs imperfect in Spanish is likely one of your first biggest learning obstacles. They're both used to talk about the past-but only under certain conditions! Click here to learn the differences between the preterite and past imperfect, their conjugations, usages and more.

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We combine tenses unthinkingly in English. " I was cooking when the phone rang." " When the storm started, I was at home." " When I get more time, I will travel more often." " If I were rich, I'd have a big house."

The problem is that, as native speakers, we never stop to think about the fact that we're combining different tenses. In fact, we rarely think about tenses in English at all: we simply use them!

Spanish Preterite and Imperfect Sentences

When you start saying anything but the simplest of sentences in Spanish, you're going to need the ability to distinguish tenses in your head. The two main past tenses are the perfect place to start, because many sentences combine the two.

Let's say that you want to tell someone, " I wasn't home when you called. "

What is the action that occurs over an indefinite period of time in the past? My not being home.

What is the event that breaks up the continuous action? Your call.

Therefore, " I wasn't home" would be in the imperfect tense, while " you called " would be in the preterite tense.

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We combine tenses unthinkingly in English. "I was cooking when the phone rang." "When the storm started, I was at home." "When I get more time, I will travel more often." "If I were rich, I'd have a big house." The problem is that, as native speakers, we ...

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Preterite vs. Imperfect: the Past Tenses

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Preterite & imperfect tenses. Learn how to conjugate and use the two simple past tenses - preterite and imperfect - in Spanish.

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preterite vs. imperfect spanish teacher guide

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preterite vs. imperfect spanish activities

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Preterite vs Imperfect Tense Spanish | Spanish Past Tense

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Understanding the Spanish imperfect tense needs a solid base in native languages & lots of practice. The Preterite vs Imperfect Spanish teacher guide can help

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The preterite and imperfect tenses are often used together in the same sentence. There are a few typical sentence&hyphen;structure formulas that are easy to

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1. The written lesson is below.

2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Here are all three regular preterite verb forms together:

Note: The nosotros forms for -ar and -ir verbs are the same in both preterite and present tenses: hablamos, vivimos.

Here are all three regular imperfect verb forms together:

Generally speaking, the preterite is used for actions in the past that are seen as completed, while the imperfect tense is used for past actions that did not have a definite beginning or a definite end.

Juan habló dos horas.
Juan spoke two hours.
(action completed)

Las chicas hablaban en inglés.
The girls used to speak in English.
(no definite beginning or end)

Another way to view this is that the preterite tells us specifically when an action took place, while the imperfect tells us in general when an action took place.
The preterite is used in the following situations:

For actions that can be viewed as single events

For actions that were repeated a specific number of times

For actions that occurred during a specific period of time

For actions that were part of a chain of events

To state the beginning or the end of an action

The imperfect is used in the following situations:

For actions that were repeated habitually

For actions that "set the stage" for another past action

For telling time

For stating one's age

For mental states (usually)

For physical sensations (usually)

To describe the characteristics of people, things or conditions

Ser, ir, dar and hacer are irregular in the preterite:

Note: This is not a typo; ser and ir do have identical conjugations in the preterite!

There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect:

Some words and phrases indicate specific time frames, and therefore signal the use of the preterite.

ayer (yesterday)
anteayer (the day before yesterday)
anoche (last night)
desde el primer momento (from the first moment)
durante dos siglos (for two centuries)
el otro día (the other day)
en ese momento (at that moment)
entonces (then)
esta mañana (this morning)
esta tarde (this afternoon)
la semana pasada (last week)
el mes pasado (last month)
el año pasado (last year)
hace dos días, años (two days, years ago)
ayer por la mañana (yesterday morning)
ayer por la tarde (yesterday afternoon)

Other words and phrases indicate repetitive, vague or non-specific time frames, and therefore signal the use of the imperfect.

-ar and -er verbs that change their stem in the present tense do not change in the preterite. They are conjugated just like other regular preterite verbs.

-ir verbs that change their stem in the present tense do change in the preterite, but in a different way. They change e:i and o:u in the third person, singular and plural.
There are a number of orthographic changing verbs in the preterite:

Verbs that end in -gar change g to gu

Verbs that end in -car change c to qu

Verbs that end in -zar change z to c

Verbs that end in -aer, -eer, -oír, -oer, and uir change ió to yó and ieron to yeron

Here are three more verbs that are irregular in the preterite:

Verbs that end in -ucir are irregular and conjugated as follows:

There are a number of verbs that are irregular in the preterite that follow a particular pattern. The pattern is that while their stems change, they all take the following endings:

Here are the verbs, along with their corresponding stem changes:

Exception: hacer (el/ella/usted hizo)

Some verbs actually change meaning, depending upon whether they are used in the preterite or the imperfect. This is not surprising, since the difference in meaning can be traced back to the different way in which these two past tenses are used.
conocer querer no querer saber poder tener

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Preterite vs Imperfect: Part IV - StudySpanish.com

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The written lesson is below. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left. Here are all three regular preterite verb forms together: Note: The nosotros forms for -ar and -ir verbs are the same in both preterite and present tenses: hablamos, vivimos.

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Many students have trouble knowing when to use the preterite tense or the imperfect tense, as they both refer to actions in the past. There are several general rules you can follow to know when to use one tense or another. Additionally, many Spanish phrases tend to be used only with the preterite or only with the imperfect, so memorizing them is very helpful! In this article, we'll take a look at the general uses of both tenses, as well as helpful "trigger" phrases.

For example:

The Preterite

Generally, the preterite is used for completed actions (actions that have definite beginning and end points.) These can be actions that can be viewed as single events, actions that were part of a chain of events, actions that were repeated a very specific number of times, or actions that specifically state the beginning and end of an action.

Check out these examples:

Useful Phrases that Trigger the Preterite

There are many helpful words and phrases that indicate specific time frames, therefore signaling that the preterite should be used. Here are a few:

Verbs that are Preterite by Nature

Some verbs used to talk about events with a very definite beginning and end are almost always used in the preterite. Here are a few examples.

The Imperfect

The imperfect tense is generally used for actions in the past that do not have a definite end. These can be actions that are not yet completed or refer to a time in general in the past. It can also be used to talk about:

actions that were repeated habitually

actions that set the stage for another past tense event

time and dates

a person's age in the past

characteristics

mental or physical states

Check out these examples:

Useful Phrases that Trigger the Imperfect

Here are some helpful words and phrases that often signal that a verb should be used in the imperfect.

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Spanish Grammar Articles and Lessons | SpanishDictionary.com

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Expert articles and interactive video lessons on how to use the Spanish language. Learn about 'por' vs. 'para', Spanish pronunciation, typing Spanish accents, and more.

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How to Use the Imperfect Tense and the Preterite Tense - Spanish411

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Most of the decision to use either the preterite or the imperfect boils down to the difference in the two example sentences above. In Spanish, information as to whether the event happened once or went on for awhile is "built-in" to the conjugation you choose.

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Spanish Listening Exercise: Scary Story in Preterite / Imperfect | Quiz at the end!

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