Preterite vs Imperfect Flashcards
Preterite Verbs
Happens in recent past
Imperfect Verbs
Happened long ago
Sequence of Events
Preterito
Setting / Background
Imperfecto
Past in progress
Imperfecto
Description
Imperfecto
We used to say
Decíamos
We said
Dijimos
I said / I told
Dije
I was saying / I used to say / I was telling / I used to tell
Decía
You said / You told
Dijiste
You were saying / You used to say / You were telling / You used to tell
Decías
He/She said; He/She told
Dijo
We said / we told
Dijimos
They said / they told
Dijeron
He/she was saying; He/she used to say; He/she was telling; He/she used to tell
Decía
We were saying / We used to say / We were telling / We used to tell
Decíamos
They was saying / They used to say / They was telling / They used to tell
Decían
I have been (yesterday)
Estuve
I was (when I was young)
Estaba
You had been (yesterday)
Estuviste
You were (when I was young)
Estabas
He/she was (yesterday)
Estuvo
He/she was (long ago)
Estaba
We were (yesterday)
Estuvimos
We were (long ago)
Estábamos
They were (yesterday)
Estuvieron
They were (long ago)
Estaban
I made / I did
Hice
I was making; I did (long ago)
Hacía
You made / You did
Hiciste
You were making; You did (long ago)
Hacías
He/She made; He/She did
Hizo