Introduction
Mastering the Spanish past tense is one of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of learning Spanish. For English speakers, understanding when to use the pretérito indefinido (preterite) versus the pretérito imperfecto (imperfect) can feel overwhelming at first. However, with clear explanations and practical examples, you’ll discover that these two past tenses follow logical patterns that make perfect sense once you understand their unique purposes.
The key difference lies in how each tense views past actions: the pretérito indefinido presents completed actions as finished events, while the pretérito imperfecto describes ongoing or habitual actions in the past. Think of the preterite as a photograph capturing a specific moment, and the imperfect as a video showing continuous action or background information.
Core Concept and Definition
The Spanish past tense system operates on a fundamentally different principle than English. While English primarily uses one simple past tense (I walked, I ate, I spoke), Spanish distinguishes between two main past tenses based on the speaker’s perspective on the action’s completion and duration.
The pretérito indefinido (also called pretérito perfecto simple) expresses actions that are viewed as completed, finished, or bounded in time. These actions have a clear beginning and end, even if that end point isn’t explicitly stated. When you use the preterite, you’re essentially saying this action happened, it’s done, and we’re moving on.
The pretérito imperfecto describes actions that were ongoing, habitual, or incomplete in the past. It sets the scene, provides background information, or describes what was happening when something else occurred. The imperfect doesn’t focus on when an action began or ended, but rather on the action’s ongoing nature or repetitive character.
Consider these examples to illustrate the fundamental difference:
Ayer comí pizza (Yesterday I ate pizza) – This uses the preterite because it’s a completed action with a specific time frame.
Cuando era niño, comía pizza todos los viernes (When I was a child, I used to eat pizza every Friday) – This uses the imperfect because it describes a habitual action in the past.
The formation patterns for these tenses are relatively straightforward once you learn the regular conjugations. Regular -ar verbs in the preterite take the endings: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron. For example, hablar becomes hablé, hablaste, habló, hablamos, hablasteis, hablaron.
Regular -er and -ir verbs in the preterite share the same endings: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron. So comer becomes comí, comiste, comió, comimos, comisteis, comieron, and vivir becomes viví, viviste, vivió, vivimos, vivisteis, vivieron.
The imperfect tense is remarkably regular, with only three irregular verbs in the entire Spanish language. Regular -ar verbs take the endings: -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban. So hablar becomes hablaba, hablabas, hablaba, hablábamos, hablabais, hablaban.
Regular -er and -ir verbs in the imperfect take: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían. Therefore, comer becomes comía, comías, comía, comíamos, comíais, comían, and vivir becomes vivía, vivías, vivía, vivíamos, vivíais, vivían.
Usage Rules and Patterns
Understanding when to use each past tense requires recognizing specific patterns and contexts. The preterite is your go-to choice for actions that can be viewed as completed events, regardless of their actual duration. If you can answer when something happened with a specific time reference, you’ll likely use the preterite.
Use the pretérito indefinido for:
Completed actions with specific time references: Ayer estudié tres horas (Yesterday I studied for three hours). Even though studying lasted three hours, it’s viewed as a completed event that happened yesterday.
Sequential actions in narrative: Me levanté, desayuné y salí de casa (I got up, had breakfast, and left the house). These actions happened one after another, each completing before the next began.
Actions that interrupted ongoing situations: Mientras caminaba, empezó a llover (While I was walking, it started to rain). The start of the rain is a specific event that interrupted the ongoing action of walking.
Actions with a clear beginning or end: La película terminó a las diez (The movie ended at ten o’clock). The ending of the movie is a specific, completed event.
Actions that happened a specific number of times: Fui al cine tres veces la semana pasada (I went to the movies three times last week). The specific count makes these completed actions.
The pretérito imperfecto serves different purposes:
Habitual or repeated actions: Cuando vivía en Madrid, iba al parque todos los días (When I lived in Madrid, I went to the park every day). This describes a routine or habit in the past.
Ongoing actions or states: Era un día hermoso y el sol brillaba (It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining). These describe continuous states or actions without focusing on their beginning or end.
Background information and scene setting: Hacía frío y nevaba cuando llegué (It was cold and snowing when I arrived). The weather conditions provide background for the main action (arriving).
Physical and emotional descriptions: Mi abuela era muy alta y tenía el pelo blanco (My grandmother was very tall and had white hair). These describe ongoing characteristics.
Time and age in the past: Eran las tres de la tarde (It was three in the afternoon), Tenía veinte años (I was twenty years old). These express ongoing states rather than completed actions.
Interrupted actions: Leía un libro cuando sonó el teléfono (I was reading a book when the phone rang). The reading was ongoing and got interrupted by the phone ringing.
One helpful way to think about this distinction is the foreground vs. background concept. The preterite typically expresses foreground actions – the main events that move a story forward. The imperfect provides background information – the setting, ongoing conditions, or habitual actions that provide context for the main events.
Time expressions often signal which tense to use. Preterite indicators include: ayer (yesterday), anoche (last night), la semana pasada (last week), el año pasado (last year), hace dos días (two days ago), de repente (suddenly), una vez (once), dos veces (twice).
Imperfect indicators include: siempre (always), nunca (never), todos los días (every day), cada semana (every week), mientras (while), cuando era niño (when I was a child), antes (before), frecuentemente (frequently), generalmente (generally).
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
English speakers often struggle with Spanish past tenses because English doesn’t make the same distinctions. Here are the most common mistakes and strategies to avoid them:
Mistake 1: Using preterite for habitual actions
Incorrect: Cuando era niño, fui a la escuela todos los días
Correct: Cuando era niño, iba a la escuela todos los días
The habitual nature of going to school every day requires the imperfect, not the preterite.
Mistake 2: Using imperfect for completed actions with specific time references
Incorrect: Ayer comía pizza
Correct: Ayer comí pizza
The specific time reference ayer combined with a completed action requires the preterite.
Mistake 3: Mixing tenses incorrectly in the same sentence
Incorrect: Mientras estudié, mi hermano vio televisión
Correct: Mientras estudiaba, mi hermano vio televisión
The ongoing action (mientras estudiaba) should be in the imperfect, while the completed action can be in either tense depending on the intended meaning.
Mistake 4: Overusing the preterite
Many English speakers default to the preterite because it seems more similar to English simple past. However, this leads to unnatural-sounding Spanish. Practice identifying when actions are truly completed events versus ongoing or habitual actions.
Mistake 5: Confusing ser and estar in past tenses
Both ser and estar have irregular forms in both past tenses. Ser in the preterite (fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron) typically indicates a completed state or event, while ser in the imperfect (era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran) describes ongoing characteristics.
Strategy 1: Use the “photography vs. video” mental model
When deciding between tenses, ask yourself: Am I describing a snapshot of a completed event (preterite) or am I describing ongoing footage of what was happening (imperfect)?
Strategy 2: Look for time markers
Train yourself to recognize time expressions that typically accompany each tense. Words like siempre, nunca, todos los días usually signal imperfect, while ayer, una vez, de repente often indicate preterite.
Strategy 3: Practice with context
Don’t just memorize conjugations; practice using both tenses in realistic contexts. Read Spanish stories and pay attention to how native speakers use these tenses to create narrative flow.
Strategy 4: Master the irregular verbs
Some verbs have irregular preterite forms that must be memorized: ser/ir (both become fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron), estar (becomes estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron), tener (becomes tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvimos, tuvisteis, tuvieron), and others.
Examples in Real Context
Let’s examine how these tenses work together in realistic scenarios. Understanding their interaction in context will help you use them naturally.
Scenario 1: Describing a typical day in the past
Cuando trabajaba en la oficina, siempre me levantaba a las siete. Desayunaba rápidamente y tomaba el autobús. Un día, mientras esperaba el autobús, vi un accidente. Llamé a la policía y llegué tarde al trabajo.
Translation: When I worked in the office, I always got up at seven. I would have breakfast quickly and take the bus. One day, while I was waiting for the bus, I saw an accident. I called the police and arrived late to work.
Analysis: The imperfect describes habitual actions (trabajaba, me levantaba, desayunaba, tomaba) and ongoing actions (esperaba). The preterite describes specific completed events (vi, llamé, llegué).
Scenario 2: Childhood memories
Cuando era pequeña, vivía con mis abuelos. Mi abuela cocinaba todos los días y mi abuelo trabajaba en el jardín. Los domingos íbamos a la iglesia juntos. Un domingo, mi abuelo se enfermó y no pudo acompañarnos. Ese día decidí que quería ser médica.
Translation: When I was little, I lived with my grandparents. My grandmother cooked every day and my grandfather worked in the garden. On Sundays we would go to church together. One Sunday, my grandfather got sick and couldn’t come with us. That day I decided I wanted to be a doctor.
Analysis: The imperfect establishes the background (era, vivía, cocinaba, trabajaba, íbamos), while the preterite narrates specific events (se enfermó, pudo, decidí).
Scenario 3: Interrupted actions
Ayer estudiaba para el examen cuando mi amigo me llamó. Hablamos durante una hora. Después continué estudiando hasta las once.
Translation: Yesterday I was studying for the exam when my friend called me. We talked for an hour. Afterwards I continued studying until eleven.
Analysis: The ongoing action (estudiaba) is in the imperfect, the interrupting action (llamó) is in the preterite, and the subsequent completed actions (hablamos, continué) are also in the preterite.
Scenario 4: Weather and descriptions
Era una noche oscura y lluviosa. Las calles estaban vacías y hacía mucho frío. De repente, escuché un ruido extraño. Salí a investigar y encontré un gato herido.
Translation: It was a dark and rainy night. The streets were empty and it was very cold. Suddenly, I heard a strange noise. I went out to investigate and found an injured cat.
Analysis: The imperfect sets the scene (era, estaban, hacía), while the preterite advances the narrative (escuché, salí, encontré).
Scenario 5: Contrasting past and present
Antes vivía en un apartamento pequeño en el centro de la ciudad. Caminaba al trabajo todos los días y conocía a todos mis vecinos. El año pasado me mudé a una casa grande en las afueras. Ahora tengo más espacio, pero extraño la vida urbana.
Translation: Before I lived in a small apartment in the city center. I walked to work every day and knew all my neighbors. Last year I moved to a big house in the suburbs. Now I have more space, but I miss urban life.
Analysis: The imperfect describes the previous ongoing situation (vivía, caminaba, conocía), while the preterite marks the specific change (me mudé). The present tense concludes with the current situation.
Comparison with Similar Grammar Structures
Understanding how Spanish past tenses relate to other grammar structures will deepen your comprehension and help you avoid confusion.
Present Perfect vs. Preterite
The pretérito perfecto compuesto (present perfect) uses haber + past participle and often competes with the preterite. However, usage varies significantly by region.
In Spain: Hoy he comido pizza (Today I have eaten pizza) – for actions connected to the present
In Latin America: Hoy comí pizza (Today I ate pizza) – preterite is preferred
The present perfect typically indicates actions that started in the past but have relevance to the present moment, while the preterite presents actions as completed and disconnected from now.
Subjunctive vs. Indicative in Past Contexts
Both preterite and imperfect have subjunctive counterparts used in dependent clauses. The pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo (imperfect subjunctive) follows the same usage rules as the indicative imperfect but appears in subjunctive contexts.
Compare: Sabía que él estudió (I knew he studied) – indicative
Dudaba que él estudiara (I doubted he studied) – subjunctive
Conditional vs. Imperfect
The condicional simple (conditional) can sometimes be confused with the imperfect, especially in expressions of politeness or hypothetical situations.
Quería un café (I wanted a coffee) – imperfect, stating a past desire
Querría un café (I would like a coffee) – conditional, polite present request
Gerund vs. Imperfect for Ongoing Actions
Both the imperfect and the past continuous (estaba + gerund) can describe ongoing past actions, but with subtle differences.
Leía cuando llegaste (I was reading when you arrived) – imperfect emphasizes the habitual or general nature
Estaba leyendo cuando llegaste (I was reading when you arrived) – past continuous emphasizes the specific moment
Pluperfect vs. Preterite
The pretérito pluscuamperfecto (pluperfect) uses había + past participle to show actions completed before other past actions.
Cuando llegué, ya había terminado (When I arrived, he had already finished) – the finishing happened before the arriving
This contrasts with the preterite, which simply states that actions happened in the past without establishing a clear temporal relationship between them.
Practice Exercises and Sample Sentences
Regular practice with targeted exercises will help you internalize these tense distinctions. Here are various types of practice activities with explanations:
Exercise Type 1: Choose the correct tense
1. Cuando (era/fui) niño, (jugaba/jugué) fútbol todos los días.
Answer: era, jugaba – Both actions describe ongoing past states/habits
2. Ayer (estudiaba/estudié) durante tres horas.
Answer: estudié – Completed action with specific time reference
3. Mientras (caminaba/caminé), (empezaba/empezó) a llover.
Answer: caminaba, empezó – Ongoing action interrupted by a specific event
4. Siempre (desayunaba/desayuné) a las ocho.
Answer: desayunaba – Habitual action indicated by siempre
5. El teléfono (sonaba/sonó) tres veces anoche.
Answer: sonó – Specific number of completed actions
Exercise Type 2: Complete the story
Era una mañana de primavera. El sol brillaba y los pájaros cantaban. María se levantó temprano porque tenía una entrevista importante. Desayunó rápidamente y salió de casa. Mientras caminaba hacia la estación, se dio cuenta de que había olvidado los documentos. Regresó corriendo a casa y llegó justo a tiempo para la entrevista.
This story demonstrates how both tenses work together: the imperfect sets the scene and describes ongoing conditions, while the preterite moves the narrative forward with specific actions.
Exercise Type 3: Translation practice
Translate these sentences, paying attention to tense choice:
1. I used to live in Barcelona when I was young.
Vivía en Barcelona cuando era joven.
2. Yesterday I bought a new car.
Ayer compré un coche nuevo.
3. While I was cooking, my mother called.
Mientras cocinaba, mi madre llamó.
4. It was raining when we arrived.
Llovía cuando llegamos.
5. She studied medicine for six years.
Estudió medicina durante seis años.
Exercise Type 4: Create your own examples
Practice creating sentences using these prompts:
– Describe a typical day in your childhood (use imperfect for habits and routines)
– Tell about something specific that happened yesterday (use preterite for completed actions)
– Describe an interrupted action (use imperfect for ongoing action, preterite for interruption)
– Compare how things were before versus a specific change (use imperfect for before, preterite for the change)
Summary
Mastering the Spanish past tenses requires understanding that the pretérito indefinido and pretérito imperfecto serve different narrative purposes. The preterite captures completed actions and moves stories forward, while the imperfect provides background, describes habits, and sets scenes. Think of the preterite as a camera taking snapshots of finished events, and the imperfect as a video camera recording ongoing action.
Success comes from recognizing patterns rather than memorizing rules. Look for time markers, practice with realistic contexts, and remember that these tenses often work together in the same paragraph or conversation. The imperfect creates the stage, and the preterite provides the action. With consistent practice and attention to how native speakers use these tenses in context, you’ll develop the intuition to choose correctly and speak more naturally.
