Hello! If you’ve ever felt confused between the preterite and the imperfect, don’t worry. Today,we are going to learn about preterite vs imperfect: How and when to use them! Spanish Learners at beginner level are going tofin this very useful.
How do we use the preterite in Spanish (in a nutsell)?
The preterite is used to talk about actions that:
Are completed: they have a clear start and end.
Happened at a specific moment in the past.
Examples:
- Ayer, hice mucho ejercicio .(Yesterday,I did a lot of exercise.)
- El año pasado estudié español antes de empezar la preparatoria .(Last year,I studied Spanish before starting highschool)
- Mis papás y yo comimos tacos y luego salimos a caminar.(My parents and I ate tacos and then we went for a walk.)
In these sentences, you know exactly when things happened.
How do we use the Imperfect or Copreterite?
On the other hand, the imperfect is used to:
- Talk about actions that were habitual or repetitive.
- Describe scenes or contexts in the past (how something was, how you felt, what was happening).
- Talk about actions in progress (what was happening while something else occurred).
Examples:
- Cuando era niño, siempre jugaba en un parque cerca de mi casa.(When I was a kid,I always played in the park near my house. )
- La casa era grande y tenía un jardín hermoso.(The house was big and it had a beautiful garden.)
- Mientras tú dormías, yo leía un libro.(Meanwhile you were sleeping,I read a book.)
Here, it’s not about when the action started or ended. We’re just describing or providing context.
How to Differentiate Them in Practice
Sometimes, the same action can be told with either the preterite or the imperfect, depending on the focus:
Imperfect/copreterite (description or habit):
When I was a child, I always visited my grandparents on Sundays.
(The action repeated frequently).Preterite (specific action):
Last Sunday, I visited my grandparents.
(It happened just once, at a specific moment).
Tips for distinguiss Preterite and imperfect(copreterite)in spanish
- Ask yourself: Am I telling what happened (preterite) or how things were or what was happening at that moment (imperfect)?
- The imperfect is like a short video: it describes the past.
- The preterite is like a picture: it shows specific actions that are already finished.
A Little Humor to Practice
Think about this:
The imperfect sets the scene: “Era de noche, llovía, y los árboles se movían con el viento…”
(It was nighttime, it was raining, and the trees were swaying in the wind…)The preterite is the action: “De repente, alguien tocó la puerta.”
(Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.)
Quick Quiz: Preterite vs. Imperfect(copreterite)
Cuando era niño,yo nadaba todos los domingos. (When I was a child, I used to swim every sunday.)
Anoche mi mejor amigo y yo jugamos video juegos.( Last night , My best friend and I played video games.)
Mientras mi papá lavaba los trastes, mi hermana hacia su tarea. (While my dad was doing the dishes, mi sister was doing her homework.)
Answers:
Imperfect
Preterite
Imperfect (cooking) and Preterite (phone rang).
