Preterite vs. Imperfect: Understanding Spanish Past Tenses

Preterite vs. Imperfect: The Main Differences

Key Takeaways

• Preterite: Used for actions that are seen as completed.
• Imperfect: Used for ongoing past actions with no specified conclusion.

Preterite vs. Imperfect | The Definition

What Does Preterite Mean?

Preterite refers to the tense we use to describe actions that were completed at a specific point in the past. These actions have a clear beginning and end. For example:

• We watched a movie last night.

The verb “watched” is in the preterite tense, indicating that the action of watching is finished.

What Does Imperfect Mean?

Imperfect, on the other hand, is used for actions that were ongoing or habitual in the past and didn’t have a specified duration or a definite end. For example:

• We were watching movies every Friday

Using the imperfect tense “were watching” to convey a habitual action in the past with no clear endpoint.

Preterite vs. Imperfect | Usage and Examples

Tips to Remember the Difference

• For one-time completed actions, think preterite.
• For recurring or ongoing actions, choose imperfect.
• Remembering specific trigger words can help. For example, ayer (yesterday) often calls for the preterite, while siempre (always) usually indicates the imperfect.

Preterite vs. Imperfect: Examples

Examples of Preterite

• Yesterday I watched a very interesting movie. (Ayer vi una película muy interesante.)
• I finished my math homework before dinner. (Terminé mi tarea de matemáticas antes de cenar.)
• We went to the amusement park last weekend. (Fuimos al parque de diversiones el fin de semana pasado.)
• She sold her old car and bought a new one. (Ella vendió su coche viejo y compró uno nuevo.)

Examples of Imperfect

• I was eating when the phone rang. (Estaba comiendo cuando sonó el teléfono.)
• They used to sing together on weekends. (Cantaban juntos los fines de semana.)
• When I was a child, I used to go to the beach every summer.(Cuando era niño, iba a la playa cada verano.)
• While I was walking through the park, I was listening to music. (Mientras caminaba por el parque, escuchaba música.)

Related Confused Words

Preterite vs. Past

The preterite tense in Spanish is often confused with the simple past tense in English, as both indicate actions that were completed in the past. We use preterite to pinpoint the specific time an action took place or to describe actions that were part of a sequence. Let’s take a look at a comparison:

• Preterite: Él estudió (he studied) toda la noche.
• Simple Past: He studied all night.

Although similar, we should note that the simple past in English can also express habitual past actions, a role often played by the imperfect tense in Spanish.

Imperfect vs. Perfect

The term “perfect” in grammatical terms refers to completed actions, and it can easily be confused with the “imperfect” which signifies ongoing or habitual actions in the past in Spanish.

• Imperfect: Nosotros íbamos (we used to go) al cine los viernes.
• Perfect: We have gone to the cinema.

The perfect tenses in English typically involve an auxiliary verb like “have” or “had,” whereas the imperfect tense in Spanish conveys a sense of continuity or repetition without completion.