Sequencing a story: primero, luego, después, al final
Put events in order with primero, luego, después, de repente, por fin and al final.
Part of the free A2 Spanish course. Press the speaker next to an example to hear it.
When you tell a story, you need words that put events in order. These sequencing words combine with the past tenses you know: the preterite for events (Preterite of regular verbs) and the imperfect for background (The imperfect: forms and uses, Preterite or imperfect (first contrast)).
Beginning the story
- Un día... (One day), El sábado pasado... (Last Saturday), Hace dos años... (Two years ago)
- Al principio = at first, at the beginning
- Primero = first
- Al principio no entendía nada.At first I didn't understand anything.
- Primero compramos las entradas.First we bought the tickets.
Moving forward
- Luego and después = then, afterwards. In most stories they are interchangeable.
- Más tarde = later
- Entonces = then, at that moment, so
- Al día siguiente = the next day
- A los diez minutos = ten minutes later
- Luego fuimos a cenar a un restaurante.Then we went to have dinner at a restaurant.
- Al día siguiente volvimos a casa.The next day we went back home.
Después de and antes de + infinitive = after/before doing something. Spanish uses the infinitive, never the gerund.
- Después de comer, dimos un paseo.After eating, we went for a walk.
- Antes de salir, apagué las luces.Before leaving, I turned off the lights.
Something unexpected
- De repente = suddenly. It introduces a new event in the preterite.
- Mientras = while. It usually takes the imperfect.
- Mientras leía, de repente sonó el timbre.While I was reading, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Ending the story
- Al final = in the end, at the end
- Por fin = at last (after waiting or effort)
- Finalmente or por último = finally, lastly (the last step in a list)
- Esperamos dos horas y por fin llegó el tren.We waited two hours and at last the train arrived.
- Al final todo salió bien.In the end everything turned out fine.
| Stage | Words |
|---|---|
| start | un día, al principio, primero |
| middle | luego, después, más tarde, entonces |
| surprise | de repente, mientras |
| end | al final, por fin, finalmente, por último |
A short story
- El verano pasado fui a Asturias con mis amigos.Last summer I went to Asturias with my friends.
- Al principio llovía todos los días.At first it rained every day.
- Después salió el sol y fuimos a la playa.Then the sun came out and we went to the beach.
Common mistakes
Después de comiendo→ Después de comer. After a preposition, use the infinitive.En el final→ Al final. The fixed phrase uses al.Después comer→ Después de comer. Before a verb or noun you need de.- Using por fin for "finally" in a list of steps. Por fin means "at last" (after a wait). For the last step, say finalmente or por último.
Al principio, llovió todos los díasis possible, but for background description use the imperfect: Al principio llovía todos los días.
Practice
- _____ desayuné y luego fui a clase.Options: Primero · Al final · Por fin · De repente
Show the answer
Primero
- Estábamos cenando y _____ se fue la luz.Options: de repente · al principio · primero · por fin
Show the answer
de repente — De repente introduces an unexpected event.
- Después _____ cenar, vimos una película.
Show the answer
de — Después de + infinitive.
- Antes de _____ (salir), cerré todas las ventanas.
Show the answer
salir — After a preposition (antes de), use the infinitive.
In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days, until you've answered it correctly on three separate days.