B1 Spanish GrammarPast Tenses: Preterite vs Imperfect
Master the Spanish past tenses: pretérito indefinido (preterite) for completed actions and pretérito imperfecto (imperfect) for descriptions, habits, and ongoing past actions. Learn when to use each tense.
1Preterite (Pretérito Indefinido)
The preterite expresses completed actions at a specific point in the past. It answers 'what happened?' Regular verbs follow predictable patterns. Common time markers: ayer, anoche, el año pasado, hace dos días.
Regular Preterite Endings
| Person | -ar (hablar) | -er/-ir (comer/vivir) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablé | comí / viví |
| tú | hablaste | comiste / viviste |
| él/ella | habló | comió / vivió |
| nosotros | hablamos | comimos / vivimos |
| vosotros | hablasteis | comisteis / vivisteis |
| ellos | hablaron | comieron / vivieron |
Examples
Ayer comí en un restaurante italiano.
Yesterday I ate at an Italian restaurant.
completed action, specific time
El año pasado viajé a España.
Last year I traveled to Spain.
completed past event
Anoche vi una película muy buena.
Last night I watched a very good movie.
specific past moment
¿Qué hiciste el fin de semana?
What did you do on the weekend?
hacer - irregular preterite
2Imperfect (Pretérito Imperfecto)
The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, background, and states. It answers 'what was happening?' or 'what used to happen?' Only three verbs are irregular: ser, ir, ver.
Regular Imperfect Endings
| Person | -ar (hablar) | -er/-ir (comer/vivir) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaba | comía / vivía |
| tú | hablabas | comías / vivías |
| él/ella | hablaba | comía / vivía |
| nosotros | hablábamos | comíamos / vivíamos |
| vosotros | hablabais | comíais / vivíais |
| ellos | hablaban | comían / vivían |
Examples
Cuando era niño, jugaba en el parque.
When I was a child, I used to play in the park.
habitual past action
Hacía mucho calor ayer.
It was very hot yesterday.
weather description
Antes vivíamos en Madrid.
We used to live in Madrid.
past state/situation
Mi abuela siempre cocinaba los domingos.
My grandmother always cooked on Sundays.
repeated past action
3Preterite vs Imperfect Usage
Use preterite for main events (what happened) and imperfect for background (what was happening). Imperfect sets the scene; preterite moves the story forward. Both often appear together in narratives.
When to Use Each Tense
| Preterite | Imperfect |
|---|---|
| completed action | ongoing action |
| specific time | no specific time |
| sequence of events | background/setting |
| change of state | description/state |
| how many times | habitual action |
Examples
Mientras dormía, sonó el teléfono.
While I was sleeping, the phone rang.
imperfect (ongoing) + preterite (interruption)
Llovía cuando salí de casa.
It was raining when I left the house.
imperfect (weather) + preterite (action)
Eran las tres cuando llegó Juan.
It was three o'clock when Juan arrived.
imperfect (time) + preterite (event)
Estaba cansado, así que me acosté temprano.
I was tired, so I went to bed early.
imperfect (state) + preterite (action)
4Irregular Preterite Verbs
Many common verbs have irregular preterite stems. They share a set of special endings: -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron. The yo and él forms have no accent marks. Master these high-frequency verbs.
Irregular Preterite Stems
| Verb | Stem | Example (yo) |
|---|---|---|
| estar | estuv- | estuve |
| tener | tuv- | tuve |
| poder | pud- | pude |
| poner | pus- | puse |
| hacer | hic-/hiz- | hice |
| venir | vin- | vine |
| decir | dij- | dije |
| traer | traj- | traje |
Examples
No pude ir a la fiesta.
I couldn't go to the party.
pud- stem
¿Dónde pusiste las llaves?
Where did you put the keys?
pus- stem
Ella no dijo nada.
She didn't say anything.
dij- stem (-eron not -ieron)
Vinieron a las ocho.
They came at eight.
vin- stem