5 Preterite V Imperfect Flashcards
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:
I went to the dance last night.
Fui al baile anoche.
I walked to the market, bought some bananas, and returned home.
I went to the market
Caminé al mercado, compré unos plátanos, y regresé a casa.
Anduve al mercado, (Andar has many different uses)
He called you three times
Te llamó tres veces.
I talked to my mother from two to three
Hablé con mi madre de las dos hasta las tres.
PRETERITE
una vez
el otro día
ayer
entonces
anteayer
anteanoche
one time
the other day
yesterday
then
the day before yesterday
the night before last
PRETERITE
yesterday morning
yesterday at noon
lastnight
this morning
this afternon
ayer por la mañana
ayer al mediodía
anoche
esta mañana
esta tarde
PRETERITE
la semana pasada
el mes pasado
el año pasado
en ese momento
ayer por la tarde
hoy por la mañana
last week
last month
last year
at that moment
yesterday afternoon
this morning
hace (dos) años
hace (dos) días
el (lunes) pasado
la semana pasada
durante (tres) siglos
desde el primer momento
(two) years ago
(two) days ago
last (Monday)
last week
for(three)centuries
from the first moment
PRETERITE
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.
casarse
graduarse
cumplir años
llegar
darse cuenta de
morir
decidir
nacer
descubrir
salir
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 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
When I was a child, I used to play with dolls.
Cuando era niña, jugaba con muñecas.
The boys were speaking in Spanish.
Los chicos hablaban en español.
I was sleeping when the telephone rang.
Estaba durmiendo cuando el teléfono sonó.
