Preterite vs. imperfect

Preterite: finished events

Use the preterite for actions completed at a specific moment, for a chain of events, for something that lasted a defined time, and for an event that interrupts.

• Ayer fui al cine.Yesterday I went to the cinema.
• Llegué a casa, cené y me acosté.I got home, had dinner and went to bed.
• Viví en Sevilla tres años.I lived in Seville for three years.
• En 2019 empecé a estudiar español.In 2019 I started learning Spanish.

Imperfect: background and habits

Use the imperfect for repeated actions and habits in the past, for descriptions of people, places, weather and time, and for what was in progress.

• De niño jugaba al fútbol todos los días.As a child I played football every day.
• Eran las diez de la noche y llovía.It was ten at night and it was raining.
• Mi abuela tenía el pelo blanco.My grandmother had white hair.
• Estaba muy nervioso antes del examen.I was very nervous before the exam.

Together in one sentence

The most common pattern: something was going on (imperfect) when something happened (preterite).

• Leía un libro cuando sonó el teléfono.I was reading a book when the phone rang.
• Mientras cocinábamos, llegaron nuestros amigos.While we were cooking, our friends arrived.

Signal words

These words are strong hints, not absolute rules.

Common mistakes

• Wrong: Ayer iba al cine. Right: Ayer fui al cine.

  One finished event at a specific time: preterite.

• Wrong: De niña fui a la playa cada verano. Right: De niña iba a la playa cada verano.

  A repeated habit in the past: imperfect.

• Wrong: Fueron las nueve cuando llegué. Right: Eran las nueve cuando llegué.

  Time in the past is background: imperfect.