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Spanish grammar

Preterite vs imperfect: past tenses in Spanish

Spanish has two common past tenses where English often gets by with one. They do different jobs, and together they tell a story.

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Updated · by the 4ToSpeak team

Preterite: what happened

  • A finished action: Ayer comí pasta.
  • A single event at a point in time: Llamé a mi madre a las ocho.
  • A sequence of events: Entré, saludé y me senté.
  • An interruption: Llovía cuando salí. (Salí is the interruption.)

Imperfect: what was going on

  • A habit in the past: Cuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol.
  • Description and setting: Hacía frío y el cielo estaba gris.
  • Age and time: Tenía diez años. Eran las tres.
  • An ongoing action in the background: Leía mientras ella cocinaba.

Some verbs change meaning

Conocí a María means I met María (a single moment); conocía a María means I knew María. Supe means I found out; sabía means I knew. Quise can mean I tried; quería means I wanted.

Examples you can play

Preterite vs imperfect: past tenses in Spanish: examples
Meaning · whySpanish
I ate pasta yesterday. · preterite: finished actionAyer comí pasta.
When I was a kid, I used to play soccer. · imperfect: habitCuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol.
I was ten years old. · imperfect: ageTenía diez años.
It was raining when I left. · imperfect sets the scene; preterite is the eventLlovía cuando salí.
I came in, said hello and sat down. · preterite: sequenceEntré, saludé y me senté.
I met María in 2019. · preterite: a momentConocí a María en 2019.
I knew María. · imperfect: a stateConocía a María.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Using the preterite for habits. Cuando era niño jugaba, not jugué, if you mean you used to.
  • Using the imperfect for a single completed event with a clear end.
  • Choosing by how long it took. Length does not decide it; whether it is a finished event or background does.

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FAQ

Questions, answered

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Which words signal the preterite?

Ayer, anoche, el año pasado, una vez and en 2019 usually point to a completed event.

Which words signal the imperfect?

Siempre, todos los días, a menudo and mientras usually point to habits or background.

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