Preterite (Part II)

Preterite: Part I

In the last lesson, you learned that the preterite is used for past actions that are seen as completed. You also learned how to conjugate regular -ar verbs. In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate -er and -ir verbs, and become more familiar with the uses of the preterite.

To conjugate regular -ar verbs in the preterite, simply drop the ending (-ar) and add one of the following:

é
aste
ó
amos
aron

To conjugate regular -er and -ir verbs in the preterite, simply drop the ending (-er or -ir) and add one of the following:

í
iste
ió
imos
ieron

Here are all three regular preterite verb forms together:

hablar / comer / vivir

hablé / comí / viví
hablaste / comiste / viviste
habló / comió / vivió

hablamos / comimos / vivimos
hablaron / comieron / vivieron

Note: the nosotros forms for -ar and -ir verbs are the same in both preterite and present tenses:

hablamos, vivimos.

The preterite is used for actions that can be viewed as single events.

Ella caminó por el parque.
She walked through the park.

Ellos llegaron a las ocho.
They arrived at eight o'clock.

The preterite is used for actions that were repeated a specific number of times, or occurred during a specific period of time.

Ayer escribí tres cartas.
Yesterday I wrote three letters.

Vivimos allí por cuatro años.
We lived there for four years.

The preterite is used for actions that were part of a chain of events.

Ella se levantó, se vistió, y salió de la casa.
She got up, dressed, and left the house.

The preterite is used to state the beginning or the end of an action.

Empezó a nevar a las ocho de la mañana.
It began to snow at eight in the morning.

The above examples all fall within our general rule for using the preterite:

* The preterite is used for past actions that are seen as completed.

Let's add two more flashcards for regular -er and -ir verbs in the preterite tense:

Verb Flashcards

Preterite: regular -er

-í
-iste
-ió
-imos
ieron
comí, comiste, comió, comimos, comisteis, comieron

Preterite: regular -ir verbs

-í
-iste
-ió
-imos
ieron
viví, viviste, vivió, vivimos, vivisteis, vivieron

Preterite versus Imperfect (Part I)

Preterite vs Imperfect: Part I

Spanish has two past tenses: preterite and imperfect. Most verbs can be put into either tense, depending upon the meaning. In this lesson, you will learn to conjugate regular -ar verbs in the preterite and the imperfect. You will also learn the basic difference between the preterite and the imperfect, so that you can begin using them correctly.

To conjugate regular -ar verbs in the preterite, simply drop the ending (-ar) and add one of the following:

é
aste
ó
amos
aron

To conjugate regular -ar verbs in the imperfect, simply drop the ending (-ar) and add one of the following:

aba
abas
aba
ábamos
aban

Compare the verb "hablar" conjugated in the preterite and the imperfect.

Preterite / Imperfect

hablé / hablaba
hablaste / hablabas
habló / hablaba
hablamos / hablábamos
hablaron / hablaban

Generally speaking, the preterite is used for actions in the past that are seen as completed. Use of the preterite tense implies that the past action had a definite beginning and definite end:

Juan habló de la una hasta las dos.
Juan spoke from one until two o'clock. (clearly stated beginning and end)

It is important to realize that the beginning and the end may not always be clearly stated:

Juan habló dos horas.
Juan spoke for two hours. (implied beginning and end)

Juan habló con la estudiante.
Juan spoke with the student. (implied beginning and end)

Generally speaking, the imperfect is used for actions in the past that are not seen as completed. Use of the imperfect tense implies that the past action did not have a definite beginning or a definite end.

Las chicas hablaban en inglés.
The girls used to speak in English. (no definite beginning or end)

You have now learned the basic difference between the preterite and the imperfect:

* The preterite tells us specifically when an action took place.
* The imperfect tells us in general when an action took place.

Note: Although this difference may appear simple, this is actually a complex topic, and you will learn the finer points in later lessons.

Let's add two more flashcards, one for regular -ar preterite, and one for regular -ar imperfect:

Verb Flashcards

Preterite: regular -ar verbs
-é
-aste
-ó
-amos
-aron
hablé, hablaste, habló, hablamos, hablasteis, hablaron

Imperfect: regular -ar verbs
-aba
-abas
-aba
-ábamos
-aban
hablaba, hablabas, hablaba, hablábamos, hablabais, hablaban