
Preterite vs. Imperfect: the Past Tenses
The imperfect tense is used...
- To describe habitual or repeated actions in the past.
- Siempre compraba en la misma tienda. (I always went shopping at the same store.)
- Mi abuela me escribía muchas cartas. (My grandmother would write me a lot of letters.)
- To describe a condition or state of being in the past.
- Estaba contenta. (She was happy.)
- Había dos edificios aquí. (There used to be two buildings here.)
- To describe an action that occurred over an unspecified time.
- Hablámos por teléfono. (We were talking on the phone.)
- Pasaba al perro. (He was walking the dog.)
- To indicate time or age in the past.
- Tenía 18 años. (She was 18 years old)
- Eran las ocho y media de la mañana. (It was 8:30 in the morning)
- To describe a person or place
- Tenía el pelo largo y los ojos azules. (She had long hair y blue eyes.)
Preterite vs. Imperfect
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.
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:
examples |
---|
Fuial baile anoche. I went to the dance last night. |
Caminéal mercado,compréunos plátanos, yregreséa casa. I walked to the market, bought some bananas, and returned home. |
Tellamótres veces. He called you three times. |
Hablécon mi madre de las dos hasta las tres. I spoke with my mother from two o’clock until three o’clock. |
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:
one time | the other day |
yesterday | then |
the day before yesterday | the night before last |
yesterday morning | yesterday at noon |
last night | last night |
this morning | this afternoon |
last week | last month |
last year | at that moment |
yesterday afternoon | this morning |
(two) years ago | (two) days ago |
last (Monday) | last week |
for (three) centuries | from the first moment |
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.
to get married | to graduate |
to turn a certain age | to arrive |
to realize | to die |
to decide | to be born |
to discover | to leave |
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:
examples |
---|
Cuandoeraniña,jugabacon muñecas. When I was a child, I used to play with dolls. |
Los chicoshablabanen español. The boys were speaking in Spanish. |
Estaba durmiendocuando el teléfono sonó. I was sleeping when the telephone rang. |
Cuandoteníatres años,eramuy pequeño. When he was three years old, he was very small. |
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.
often | frequently |
rarely | sometimes |
usually | always |
at times | while |
so many times | every year |
every day | many times |
every week | all the time |
frequently | almost never |
a lot | never |
generally | every day |
once in a while | for a while |
at that time | several times |
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Preterite vs Imperfect: Part IV
Notes:
- The written lesson is below.
- Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.
Here are all three regular preterite verb forms together:
hablar | comer | vivir |
---|---|---|
hablé | comí | viví |
hablaste | comiste | viviste |
habló | comió | vivió |
hablamos | comimos | vivimos |
hablasteis | comisteis | vivisteis |
hablaron | comieron | vivieron |
Note: The nosotros forms for -ar and -ir verbs are the same in both preterite and present tenses: hablamos, vivimos.
[Review This Topic]
Here are all three regular imperfect verb forms together:
hablar | comer | vivir |
---|---|---|
hablaba | comía | vivía |
hablabas | comías | vivías |
hablaba | comía | vivía |
hablábamos | comíamos | vivíamos |
hablabais | comíais | vivíais |
hablaban | comían | vivían |
[Review This Topic]
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.
[Review This Topic]
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
[Review This Topic]
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
[Review This Topic]
Ser, ir, dar and hacer are irregular in the preterite:
ser | ir | dar | hacer |
---|---|---|---|
fui | fui | di | hice |
fuiste | fuiste | diste | hiciste |
fue | fue | dio | hizo |
fuimos | fuimos | dimos | hicimos |
fuisteis | fuisteis | disteis | hicisteis |
fueron | fueron | dieron | hicieron |
Note: This is not a typo; ser and ir do have identical conjugations in the preterite!
[Review This Topic]
There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect:
ser | ir | ver |
---|---|---|
era | iba | veía |
eras | ibas | veías |
era | iba | veía |
éramos | íbamos | veíamos |
erais | ibais | veíais |
eran | iban | veían |
[Review This Topic]
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)
[Review This Topic]
Other words and phrases indicate repetitive, vague or non-specific time frames, and therefore signal the use of the imperfect.
a menudo (often)
a veces (sometimes)
cada día (every day)
cada semana (every week)
cada mes (every month)
cada año (every year)
con frecuencia (frequently)
de vez en cuando (from time to time)
en aquella época (at that time)
frecuentemente (frequently)
generalmente (usually)
muchas veces (many times)
mucho (a lot)
nunca (never)
por un rato (for awhile)
siempre (always)
tantas veces (so many times)
todas las semanas (every week)
todos los días (every day)
todo el tiempo (all the time)
varias veces (several times)
[Review This Topic]
-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.
Present | Preterite |
---|---|
cerrar | cerrar |
cierro | cerré |
cierras | cerraste |
cierra | cerró |
cerramos | cerramos |
cerráis | cerrasteis |
cierran | cerraron |
[Review This Topic]
-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.
Present | Preterite |
---|---|
preferir | preferir |
prefiero | preferí |
prefieres | preferiste |
prefiere | prefirió |
preferimos | preferimos |
preferís | preferisteis |
prefieren | prefirieron |
Present | Preterite |
---|---|
dormir | dormir |
duermo | dormí |
duermes | dormiste |
duerme | durmió |
dormimos | dormimos |
dormís | dormisteis |
duermen | durmieron |
[Review This Topic]
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
[Review This Topic]
Here are three more verbs that are irregular in the preterite:
decir | traer | ver |
---|---|---|
dije | traje | vi |
dijiste | trajiste | viste |
dijo | trajo | vio |
dijimos | trajimos | vimos |
dijisteis | trajisteis | visteis |
dijeron | trajeron | vieron |
[Review This Topic]
Verbs that end in -ucir are irregular and conjugated as follows:
producir
produje
produjiste
produjo
produjimos
produjisteis
produjeron
[Review This Topic]
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:
-e
-iste
-o
-imos
-isteis
-ieron
Here are the verbs, along with their corresponding stem changes:
Infinitive | Stem Change |
---|---|
andar | anduv- |
estar | estuv- |
tener | tuv- |
caber | cup- |
haber | hub- |
poder | pud- |
poner | pus- |
saber | sup- |
hacer | hic- |
querer | quis- |
venir | vin- |
Exception: hacer (el/ella/usted hizo)
[Review This Topic]
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
Conocí a Juan hace cinco años.
I met Juan five years ago.
(completed action)En aquella época conocíamos muy bien la ciudad.
At that time we knew the city very well.
(no definite beginning or end)
querer
María quiso comprar la casa.
Maria tried to buy the house.
(completed action)Juan quería comprar la casa.
Juan wanted to buy the house.
(no definite beginning or end)
no querer
María no quiso comprar la casa.
Maria refused to buy the house.
(completed action)Juan no quería comprar la casa.
Juan did not want to buy the house.
(no definite beginning or end)
saber
María lo supo ayer.
Maria found out yesterday.
(completed action)Juan sabía que María venía.
Juan knew that Maria was coming.
(no definite beginning or end)
poder
María pudo levantar la mesa.
Maria succeeded in lifting the table.
(completed action)Juan podía participar en la manifestación.
Juan was able to participate in the demonstration.
(no definite beginning or end)
tener
María tuvo una carta de su mamá.
Maria received a letter from her mom.
(completed action)Juan tenía un coche nuevo.
Juan used to have a new car.
(no definite beginning or end)
[Review This Topic]
Preterite vs. Imperfect Tense (Which to Use & When)
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):
Infinitive Verb | -Ar Ending | + Preterite Ending | Preterite Verb | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Yo | Caminar | camin | +é | caminé |
Tú | Caminar | camin | +aste | caminaste |
Él/ella/usted | Caminar | camin | +ó | caminó |
Nosotros | Caminar | camin | +amos | caminamos |
Vosotros | Caminar | camin | +asteis | caminasteis |
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | Caminar | camin | +aron | caminaron |
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):
Infinitive Verb | -Er/Ir Ending | + Preterite Ending | Preterite Verb | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Yo | Comer | Com | +í | comí |
Tú | Comer | Com | +iste | comiste |
Él/ella/usted | Comer | Com | +ió | comió |
Nosotros | Comer | Com | +imos | comimos |
Vosotros | Comer | Com | +isteis | comisteis |
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | Comer | Com | +ieron | comieron |
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:
Infinitive Verb | -Ar Ending | + Imperfect Ending | Imperfect Verb | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Yo | Caminar | camin | +aba | caminaba |
Tú | Caminar | camin | +abas | caminabas |
Él/ella/usted | Caminar | camin | +aba | caminaba |
Nosotros | Caminar | camin | +abamos | caminábamos |
Vosotros | Caminar | camin | +abais | caminabais |
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | Caminar | camin | +aban | caminaban |
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:
Infinitive Verb | -Er/Ir Ending | +Imperfect Ending | Imperfect Verb | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Yo | Comer | Com | +ía | comía |
Tú | Comer | Com | +ías | comías |
Él/ella/usted | Comer | Com | +ía | comía |
Nosotros | Comer | Com | +íamos | comíamos |
Vosotros | Comer | Com | +íais | comíais |
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | Comer | Com | +ían | comían |
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:
Enter your text here...
Conocer
Saber
Tener
Querer
No Querer
Poder
No Poder
Preterite
Conocí al primer ministro.
(I met the prime minister).
Ya superion de la película.
(They already found out about the movie.)
Tuvo una carta de su abuela.
(He received a letter from his grandmother.)
Quise encontrar el libro.
(I tried to find the book.)
Yo no quise ir al supermercado.
(I refused to go to the supermarket.)
Pudieron comprar un carro.
(They succeeded in buying a car.)
No pudimos abrir la puerta.
(We failed to open the door.)
Imperfect
Conocía al primer ministro.
(I knew the prime minister).
Ya sabían de la película.
(They already knew about the movie.)
Tenía una carta de su abuela.
(He had a letter from his grandmother.)
Quería encontrar el libro.
(I wanted to find the book.)
Yo no quería ir al supermercado.
(I did not want to go to the supermarket.)
Podían comprar un carro.
(They were able to buy a car.)
No podíamos abrir la puerta.
(We weren't able to open the door.)
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.

Yo tocaba la guitarra (true 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!
Imperfect preterite chart vs rules
Finish-a-a-yu-u-u. She fell on Sergei, pressing her face against the broad and hairy daddy's chest. Her eyes were insane, her whole body was covered with fine perspiration. Sergei also ended violently, holding his daughter's buttocks with his hands, spreading them widely and with force continuing to push on himself.
02 Spanish Lesson - preterite vs imperfect (part 1)"On that we decided. I bought a bottle of champagne, fruit and began to wait impatiently. When she knocked on the door quietly entered the room, I hugged her and kissed her, opened the champagne and we drank to our common desire. I spread the bed and slowly began to undress her, took off her thin robe under it there was only her naked nice plump little.
Body.
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The woman was sitting on a blood-soaked road, leaning against a car wheel, and clutching a terrible wound on her neck with her hands. The man was lying next to him on his side, his legs pressed to his stomach. The handle of a kitchen knife protruded from his stomach, the blade went into the body entirely. One of the policemen urgently called an ambulance, and the other began to bandage the woman.
An ambulance arrived quickly, but they could no longer help Kirill.