The Spanish Preterite Tense is one of the fundamental building blocks of Spanish grammar. When you master this tense, you’ll be able to talk about completed actions in the past with confidence and precision.
What Is the Spanish Preterite Tense?
The preterite tense expresses actions that:
- Happened at a specific moment
- Had a clear beginning and end
- Were completed in the past
Think of it as taking a snapshot of a past action. When you use the Spanish Preterite Tense, you’re focusing on what happened, not how long it took or whether it was repeated.
Regular Verb Endings
-AR Verbs
For verbs ending in -ar (like hablar, trabajar, estudiar):
- yo → -é (hablé)
- tú → -aste (hablaste)
- él/ella/usted → -ó (habló)
- nosotros → -amos (hablamos)
- vosotros → -asteis (hablasteis)
- ellos/ellas/ustedes → -aron (hablaron)
-ER/-IR Verbs
For verbs ending in -er or -ir (like comer, vivir):
- yo → -í (comí, viví)
- tú → -iste (comiste, viviste)
- él/ella/usted → -ió (comió, vivió)
- nosotros → -imos (comimos, vivimos)
- vosotros → -isteis (comisteis, vivisteis)
- ellos/ellas/ustedes → -ieron (comieron, vivieron)
When to Use the Spanish Preterite Tense
You’ll use the preterite tense when:
- An action occurred at a specific time
“Ayer fui al mercado” (Yesterday I went to the market) - An action had a definite beginning and end
“El partido duró dos horas” (The game lasted two hours) - Actions happened in sequence
“Me levanté, me duché y salí” (I got up, showered, and left)
Common Time Expressions
These words and phrases often signal the use of the Spanish Preterite Tense:
- ayer (yesterday)
- anoche (last night)
- la semana pasada (last week)
- el mes pasado (last month)
- el año pasado (last year)
- hace dos días (two days ago)
Key Irregular Verbs
Some of the most common irregular verbs in the preterite:
Ser/Ir (to be/to go)
- fui
- fuiste
- fue
- fuimos
- fuisteis
- fueron
Hacer (to do/make)
- hice
- hiciste
- hizo
- hicimos
- hicisteis
- hicieron
Ver (to see)
- vi
- viste
- vio
- vimos
- visteis
- vieron
Real-Life Examples
“El sábado pasado…”
- Fuimos al cine (We went to the movies)
- Vimos una película española (We saw a Spanish movie)
- Comimos palomitas (We ate popcorn)
- Regresamos a casa tarde (We returned home late)
“Durante mis vacaciones…”
- Visité Madrid (I visited Madrid)
- Conocí a mucha gente (I met many people)
- Aprendí mucho español (I learned a lot of Spanish)
- Hice muchas fotos (I took many photos)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don’t confuse with the imperfect tense
- Preterite: “Ayer llovió” (It rained yesterday – specific, completed action)
- Imperfect: “Llovía mucho cuando era niño” (It used to rain a lot when I was a child)
- Watch for stem changes
- Dormir → dormí (not durmí)
- Pedir → pedí (not pidí)
- Remember accent marks
- habló (he/she spoke) vs. hablo (I speak)
- comí (I ate) vs. comi (not a word)
Conclusion
The Spanish Preterite Tense is your key to discussing completed actions in the past. While it may seem complex at first with its various endings and irregular verbs, it follows logical patterns that you’ll quickly recognize. Remember that the preterite tense captures specific, completed actions – think of it as taking a snapshot of a moment in the past. With this knowledge, you’re now equipped to start expressing past actions with clarity and confidence in Spanish.