Introduction
The preterite tense in Spanish is used to describe actions that were completed at a definite point in the past. It often answers the question "What happened?" and is distinct from the imperfect tense, which describes ongoing or habitual past actions. The preterite is essential for storytelling and narrating events in chronological order.
Regular Preterite Endings
Regular verbs in Spanish fall into three categories based on their infinitive endings: -ar, -er, and -ir. Each category has a distinct pattern of endings in the preterite tense.
-ar Verb Conjugation
For regular -ar verbs, the preterite endings are added to the stem by removing the infinitive ending -ar. The endings are: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron.
-er and -ir Verb Conjugation
Regular -er and -ir verbs share the same preterite endings, which are: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron. These endings are added to the stem by removing the infinitive ending.
Irregular Preterite Verbs
Some common verbs are irregular in the preterite and do not follow the usual endings or stem changes. These include verbs like ser, ir, tener, hacer, and estar. Their conjugations must be memorized.
Uses of the Preterite Tense
The preterite is used to express completed actions, actions that occurred once or a specific number of times, actions that happened at a specific moment or during a specific period, and to sequence past events.
Preterite vs. Imperfect
The preterite contrasts with the imperfect tense. While the preterite refers to completed past actions, the imperfect describes ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past.
Examples and Practice
Using example sentences helps to grasp the preterite better. For instance, Ayer comí pizza (Yesterday I ate pizza) is a clear illustration of the preterite marking a completed action at a specific time.
Conjugations
| Spanish Pronoun | -ar Conjugation (Hablar) | English Conjugation | -er Conjugation (Comer) | English Conjugation | -ir Conjugation (Vivir) | English Conjugation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablé | I spoke | comí | I ate | viví | I lived |
| tú | hablaste | you spoke | comiste | you ate | viviste | you lived |
| él/ella/usted | habló | he/she/you spoke | comió | he/she/you ate | vivió | he/she/you lived |
| nosotros/as | hablamos | we spoke | comimos | we ate | vivimos | we lived |
| vosotros/as | hablasteis | you all spoke | comisteis | you all ate | vivisteis | you all lived |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablaron | they/you all spoke | comieron | they/you all ate | vivieron | they/you all lived |
