Mastering the Spanish Preterite Tense

By Lingobi, Published on 06/23/2025

The preterite tense (pretérito) in Spanish is used to describe actions that were completed in the past. Unlike the imperfect tense, which focuses on repeated or ongoing actions, the preterite is all about specific, completed events—things that happened once or had a clear beginning and end.

When to Use the Preterite Tense

This tense is perfect when you want to talk about:

• Events that happened once or were completed
• Actions with a clear beginning and end
• Sequences of actions

How to Conjugate Regular Verbs

Hablar (to speak) is a regular -ar verb. Its endings follow a consistent pattern that you can use with other -ar verbs.

Comer (to eat) is a regular -er verb. Its preterite endings follow a different but also consistent pattern.

Vivir (to live) is a regular -ir verb, and its conjugation closely matches that of -er verbs in the preterite.

Common Time Expressions with the Preterite

• Ayer – yesterday
• La semana pasada – last week
• El año pasado – last year
• Hace dos días – two days ago

Tips for Learning the Preterite

• Practice with short stories about your past.
• Try building your own sentences using real events.
• Use Lingobi’s Sentence Builder game to piece together past-tense phrases interactively.

The preterite tense is essential for sharing personal experiences, telling stories, and describing specific moments. With regular practice and a clear understanding of its structure, you’ll find it easier to speak confidently about your past in Spanish.

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