Grammar – Preterite (el pretérito indefinido)
The following table shows the preterite of regular verbs. Regular -er and -ir verbs follow the exact same pattern. Note that the nosotros form is the same as in the present tense for -ar and -ir verbs, so you have to know the context to figure out the time. Also, note that the last letter of comí and viví has an accent mark.
|
hablar (-ar) |
to talk |
comer (-er) |
to eat |
vivir (-ir) |
to live |
| yo |
hablé |
I talked |
comí |
I ate |
viví |
I lived |
| tú |
hablaste |
you talked |
comiste |
you ate |
viviste |
you lived |
| Ud./él/ella |
habló |
he/she talked |
comió |
he/she ate |
vivió |
he/she lived |
| nosotros/as |
hablamos |
we talked |
comimos |
we ate |
vivimos |
we lived |
| vosotros/as |
hablastéis |
you (all) talked |
comistéis |
you (all) ate |
vivistéis |
you (all) lived |
| Uds./ellos/as |
hablaron |
they talked |
comieron |
they ate |
vivieron |
they lived |
Here is a list of common verbs that have an irregular preterite:
|
dar |
decir |
estar |
hacer |
| yo |
di |
dije |
estuve |
hice |
| tú |
diste |
dijiste |
estuviste |
hiciste |
| Ud./él/ella |
dio |
dijo |
estuvo |
hizo |
| nosotros/as |
dimos |
dijimos |
estuvimos |
hicimos |
| vosotros/as |
disteis |
dijisteis |
estuvisteis |
hicisteis |
| Uds./ellos/as |
dieron |
dijeron |
estuvieron |
hicieron |
|
ir |
poder |
poner |
querer |
| yo |
fui |
pude |
puse |
quise |
| tú |
fuiste |
pudiste |
pusiste |
quisiste |
| Ud./él/ella |
fue |
pudo |
puso |
quiso |
| nosotros/as |
fuimos |
pudimos |
pusimos |
quisimos |
| vosotros/as |
fuisteis |
pudisteis |
pusisteis |
quisisteis |
| Uds./ellos/as |
fueron |
pudieron |
pusieron |
quisieron |
|
saber |
ser |
tener |
venir |
| yo |
supe |
fui |
tuve |
vine |
| tú |
supiste |
fuiste |
tuviste |
viniste |
| Ud./él/ella |
supo |
fue |
tuvo |
vino |
| nosotros/as |
supimos |
fuimos |
tuvimos |
vinimos |
| vosotros/as |
supisteis |
fuisteis |
tuvisteis |
vinisteis |
| Uds./ellos/as |
supieron |
fueron |
tuvieron |
vinieron |
Grammar – Imperfect (el pretérito imperfecto)
The following table shows the imperfect of regular verbs. Note that regular -er and -ir verbs follow the exact same pattern:
|
hablar
(-ar) |
to talk |
comer
(-er) |
to eat |
vivir
(-ir) |
to live |
| yo |
hablaba |
I was talking |
comía |
I was eating |
vivía |
I was living |
| tú |
hablabas |
you were talking |
comías |
you were eating |
vivías |
you were living |
| Ud./él/ella |
hablaba |
he/she was talking |
comía |
he/she was eating |
vivía |
he/she was living |
| nosotros/as |
hablábamos |
we were talking |
comíamos |
we were eating |
vivíamos |
we were living |
| vosotros/as |
hablabais |
you (all) were talking |
comíais |
you (all) were eating |
vivíais |
you (all) were living |
| Uds./ellos/as |
hablaban |
they were talking |
comían |
they were eating |
vivían |
they were living |
There are only three verbs that are irregular in the imperfect:
|
ir |
ser |
ver |
| yo |
iba |
era |
veía |
| tú |
ibas |
eras |
veías |
| Ud./él/ella |
iba |
era |
veía |
| nosotros/as |
íbamos |
éramos |
veíamos |
| vosotros/as |
ibais |
erais |
veíais |
| Uds./ellos/as |
iban |
eran |
veían |
Grammar – Preterite vs. Imperfect
Spanish has two tenses that correspond to the English simple past. Roughly speaking, the Preterite is used to tell What happened – it refers to a specific event.
| Preterite is used for… |
Example |
| A specific event |
Ayer comí una hamburguesa. |
| Beginning/end of an event |
La fiesta terminó a las tres de la mañana. |
| A series of events |
Carlos salió de la universidad, compró ropa y volvió a casa. |
| Preterite |
Key words |
| esta mañana |
this morning |
| anoche |
last night |
| ayer |
yesterday |
| el otro día |
the other day |
| el lunes pasado |
last Monday |
| la semana pasada |
last week |
| el mes pasado |
last month |
| el año pasado |
last year |
| hace dos años |
two years ago |
| en ese momento |
at that moment |
| entonces |
then |
The Imperfect is used to tell How things were – it refers to the general situation.
| Imperfect is used for… |
Example |
| Habitual events |
A veces Einstein se equivocaba. |
| Time in the past |
Eran las dos de la tarde. |
| Conditions (physical or mental) |
Era un día muy caluroso. |
| Imperfect |
Key words |
| siempre |
always |
| generalmente |
usually |
| a menudo |
often |
| muchas veces |
many times |
| a veces |
sometimes |
| nunca |
never |
| todos los días |
every day |
| cada día |
| cada año |
every year |
El vocabulario (Vocabulary) – La casa (The house)
| La casa |
The house |
| la habitación / el cuarto / la pieza / la sala / la recámara |
the room |
| el dormitorio / el cuarto / la pieza |
the bedroom |
| el estar / la sala de estar / el cuarto de estar |
the living room |
| el comedor |
the dining room |
| la cocina |
the kitchen |
| el baño / el cuarto de baño / el servicio / el excusado |
the bathroom |
| la(s) escalera(s) |
the stairs |
| el sótano / el subsuelo |
the basement |
| el techo / el tejado |
the roof |
| el techo / el cielo raso |
the ceiling |
| el piso / el suelo |
the floor |
| la pared |
the wall |
| el muro |
the wall |
| la ventana |
the window |
| el ropero / el armario / el clóset |
the closet |
| la mesa |
the table |
| la silla |
the chair |
| el espejo |
the mirror |
| el lavabo / el lavamanos / el lavatorio |
the bathroom sink, the lavatory |
| En la cocina… |
In the kitchen… |
| la nevera / el frigorífico / el refrigerador / la heladera |
the refrigerator |
| el lavaplatos / el lavavajilla |
the dishwasher |
| el fregadero / la pileta |
the kitchen sink |
| la cocina |
the stove, the cooker |
| el horno |
the oven |
| el (horno) microondas |
the microwave |
| la olla |
the pot |
| la sartén |
the (frying) pan |
| En el comedor… |
In the dining room… |
| el plato |
the plate |
| la taza |
the cup |
| el tazón / el bol |
the bowl |
| el vaso |
the glass |
| la copa |
the goblet, the wineglass |
| el tenedor |
the fork |
| el cuchillo |
the knife |
| la cuchara |
the spoon |
| la servilleta |
the napkin |