Preterite vs imperfect in Spanish
Spanish has two simple past tenses. The preterite (pretérito indefinido) reports what happened; the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto) describes what was going on. This free guide covers the endings, the trigger words, the verbs that change meaning, and a quiz to check you can choose between them.
The rule in one sentence
Use the preterite for the events — what happened, once, finished.
Comí a las dos.
Use the imperfect for the background — what was going on, used to happen, or how things were.
Comía a las dos todos los días.
In a story the imperfect paints the scene and the preterite moves the plot: Leía en el sofá cuando sonó el teléfono.
When to use the preterite
| Use | Why | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Completed action | One finished event with a clear start or end | Ayer comí paella. (Yesterday I ate paella.) |
| Sequence of events | Actions that move a story forward | Llegué, abrí la puerta y entré. (I arrived, opened the door and went in.) |
| Specific number of times | The action is counted or bounded | Fui a Madrid tres veces. (I went to Madrid three times.) |
| Defined duration | An action with a stated length that has ended | Viví en Chile dos años. (I lived in Chile for two years.) |
| Interrupting event | The thing that happens during the background | Sonó el teléfono. (The phone rang.) |
When to use the imperfect
| Use | Why | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Habits and routines | What used to happen repeatedly | Comía paella todos los domingos. (I used to eat paella every Sunday.) |
| Descriptions | People, places and background scenery | La casa era grande y tenía un jardín. (The house was big and had a garden.) |
| Age, time and weather | Background facts in the past | Eran las tres y llovía. (It was three o'clock and it was raining.) |
| Ongoing action | Something in progress, often interrupted | Leía cuando llegaste. (I was reading when you arrived.) |
| Feelings and mental states | How things were, not what happened | Quería ir, pero estaba cansado. (I wanted to go, but I was tired.) |
Endings side by side
Preterite (pretérito indefinido)
| Person | -ar (hablar) | -er (comer) | -ir (vivir) |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablé | comí | viví |
| tú | hablaste | comiste | viviste |
| él / ella / usted | habló | comió | vivió |
| nosotros | hablamos | comimos | vivimos |
| ustedes | hablaron | comieron | vivieron |
| ellos / ustedes | hablaron | comieron | vivieron |
Imperfect (pretérito imperfecto)
| Person | -ar (hablar) | -er (comer) | -ir (vivir) |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaba | comía | vivía |
| tú | hablabas | comías | vivías |
| él / ella / usted | hablaba | comía | vivía |
| nosotros | hablábamos | comíamos | vivíamos |
| ustedes | hablaban | comían | vivían |
| ellos / ustedes | hablaban | comían | vivían |
Only three verbs are irregular in the imperfect: ser (era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran), ir (iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban) and ver (veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían). The preterite has many more — see the verb conjugator.
Trigger words
These time expressions usually point to one tense or the other.
| Points to preterite | Points to imperfect |
|---|---|
| ayer | siempre |
| anoche | todos los días |
| de repente | mientras |
| el año pasado | generalmente |
| una vez / dos veces | cuando era niño |
| entonces | a menudo |
Verbs that change meaning
A few common verbs translate differently depending on the tense you choose.
Common mistakes
- Using the preterite for descriptions. Say La casa era vieja, not La casa fue vieja.
- Using the imperfect for a one-off event with a time marker. Say Anoche cené tarde, not Anoche cenaba tarde.
- Forgetting that «mientras» normally takes the imperfect: Mientras estudiaba, escuchaba música.
- Mixing up hablé (preterite, I spoke) and hablaba (imperfect, I used to speak) — the accent and stress carry the meaning.
5-minute check
Tap the correct past tense for each sentence.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the preterite and the imperfect?
The preterite reports a completed past action with a clear beginning or end (comí a las dos). The imperfect describes background: habits, repeated actions, ongoing situations, age, weather, time and descriptions (comía todos los días).
Can both tenses appear in the same sentence?
Yes, and it is very common. The imperfect sets the scene while the preterite reports the event that interrupts it: Leía cuando sonó el teléfono.
Which words signal each tense?
Preterite: ayer, anoche, de repente, el año pasado, una vez. Imperfect: siempre, todos los días, mientras, generalmente, cuando era niño.
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