Preterite or imperfect (first contrast)
Events move the story; the imperfect paints the scene
Part of the free A2 Spanish course. Press the speaker next to an example to hear it.
You now know two past tenses: the preterite (Preterite of regular verbs) and the imperfect (The imperfect: forms and uses). English often uses one form for both (I lived), but Spanish makes you choose. The choice is about how you look at the action, not about how long ago it happened.
The stage and the actions
Think of a play. The imperfect is the stage set: the scenery, the weather, what people were like and what was going on. The preterite is the action: the things that happened, one after another, that move the story forward.
- Hacía sol, así que fuimos a la playa.It was sunny, so we went to the beach.
- El restaurante era pequeño y la comida estaba riquísima.The restaurant was small and the food was delicious.
- Eran las once cuando llegamos al hotel.It was eleven when we arrived at the hotel.
| Preterite: what happened | Imperfect: what it was like |
|---|---|
| a finished event (Llegó a las diez.) | the background (Llovía.) |
| a series of events (Entré, me senté y pedí un café.) | a habit (Siempre pedía un café.) |
| a counted or limited action (Llamé tres veces.) | a description (Era alto y simpático.) |
| a beginning or an end (Empezó a llover.) | time and age (Eran las dos. Tenía diez años.) |
Interruptions: was doing … when … happened
The action in progress is imperfect; the event that interrupts it is preterite.
- Estaba en la ducha cuando sonó el timbre.I was in the shower when the doorbell rang.
- Vivíamos en Valencia cuando nació mi hermana.We were living in Valencia when my sister was born.
With mientras (while), two actions in progress at the same time are both imperfect:
- Mientras mi padre cocinaba, nosotros poníamos la mesa.While my father cooked, we set the table.
Habit or one occasion
- Cuando era pequeña, iba al colegio en bici.When I was little, I went to school by bike.
- Ayer fui al trabajo en metro.Yesterday I went to work by metro.
A limited period is still a finished event
If you say how long something lasted and it is over, use the preterite, even for a long time:
- Viví en Valencia dos años.I lived in Valencia for two years.
- Llamé a Marta tres veces, pero no contestó.I called Marta three times, but she didn't answer.
Words like ayer or siempre are hints, not rules. Ask: am I telling what happened, or describing what it was like?
You will put all three past tenses together at B1: Narrating the past: all three past tenses together.
Common mistakes
Cuando llegué, lloviófor the background → Cuando llegué, llovía (it was raining when I arrived).Fue las diez→ Eran las diez. Time in the past is always imperfect.Tuve diez años cuando…→ Tenía diez años cuando… Age in a story is background.Ayer iba al cinefor a single trip → Ayer fui al cine. Iba would mean "I was going" or "I used to go".- Translating every "was + -ing" with estar: estaba leyendo is fine, but the plain imperfect leía is often more natural.
Practice
- Yo _____ la cena cuando llegaron los invitados.Options: preparaba · preparé · preparo
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preparaba — The action in progress is imperfect; the interruption (llegaron) is preterite.
- Mientras Luis _____, su mujer leía un libro.Options: conducía · condujo · conduce
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conducía — Two actions in progress at the same time after mientras: imperfect.
- Cuando yo _____ (tener) quince años, me rompí la pierna.
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tenía — Age is background: imperfect.
- El verano pasado _____ (nosotros, ir) a Portugal.
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fuimos