⏳ Past Tense
The Spanish past tense (preterite) is used to describe completed actions and events that happened in the past. You use it to talk about what you did yesterday, last week, on vacation, or at a specific time in the past.
🟢 When to Use the Past Tense
⏳ Completed Actions
Terminé mi tarea.
Compramos un coche.
Use the preterite for actions that have finished.
Terminé mi tarea.
Compramos un coche.
Use the preterite for actions that have finished.
📅 Specific Times
Llegué a las ocho.
Salimos el sábado.
The action happened at a specific time in the past.
Llegué a las ocho.
Salimos el sábado.
The action happened at a specific time in the past.
🎉 Finished Events
Visitamos el museo.
Ella ganó el partido.
The event began and ended in the past.
Visitamos el museo.
Ella ganó el partido.
The event began and ended in the past.
📖 Series of Actions
Me desperté, desayuné y salí de casa.
Use the preterite to tell a sequence of completed events.
Me desperté, desayuné y salí de casa.
Use the preterite to tell a sequence of completed events.
🧠 Useful Grammar
Common Time Expressions
ayer
anoche
la semana pasada
el año pasado
hace dos días
ayer
anoche
la semana pasada
el año pasado
hace dos días
Regular Past Tense Endings
-AR
-é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -aron
-ER / -IR
-í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -ieron
-AR
-é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -aron
-ER / -IR
-í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -ieron
Some Verbs Are Irregular
Common irregular verbs include:
fui
tuve
hice
dije
Common irregular verbs include:
fui
tuve
hice
dije
⚠️ Common Beginner Mistakes
❌ Ayer estudio español.
✅ Ayer estudié español.
✅ Ayer estudié español.
❌ Como pizza anoche.
✅ Comí pizza anoche.
✅ Comí pizza anoche.
❌ Nosotros vamos al cine ayer.
✅ Nosotros fuimos al cine ayer.
✅ Nosotros fuimos al cine ayer.
❌ Ella llega tarde ayer.
✅ Ella llegó tarde ayer.
✅ Ella llegó tarde ayer.
❓ Useful Questions
¿Qué hiciste ayer?
What did you do yesterday?
What did you do yesterday?
¿Dónde fuiste?
Where did you go?
Where did you go?
¿Con quién hablaste?
Who did you speak with?
Who did you speak with?
¿Cuándo llegaste?
When did you arrive?
When did you arrive?
💬 Everyday Conversation
Weekend Activities
A: ¿Qué hiciste el fin de semana?
B: Fui a la playa y cené con mi familia.
A: ¿Lo pasaste bien?
B: Sí, fue un fin de semana excelente.
A: What did you do over the weekend?
B: I went to the beach and had dinner with my family.
A: Did you have a good time?
B: Yes, it was an excellent weekend.
A: ¿Qué hiciste el fin de semana?
B: Fui a la playa y cené con mi familia.
A: ¿Lo pasaste bien?
B: Sí, fue un fin de semana excelente.
A: What did you do over the weekend?
B: I went to the beach and had dinner with my family.
A: Did you have a good time?
B: Yes, it was an excellent weekend.
📝 Example Sentences
🎁 Compré un regalo para mi hermana.
I bought a gift for my sister.
I bought a gift for my sister.
📝 Terminamos el proyecto ayer.
We finished the project yesterday.
We finished the project yesterday.
🚗 Ellos llegaron temprano.
They arrived early.
They arrived early.
📧 Escribí un correo electrónico esta mañana.
I wrote an email this morning.
I wrote an email this morning.
🏆 Final Practice
Choose whether each situation uses the present tense or the past tense.
- Yesterday I visited my grandparents. → Past tense
- I drink coffee every morning. → Present tense
- Last summer we traveled to Spain. → Past tense
- She studies after school every day. → Present tense
- We finished our homework last night. → Past tense