In this lesson, we will delve into the Pretérito Indefinido tense in Spanish, used to describe actions that were completed in the past at a definite time. Unlike the Pretérito Perfecto, which links past actions to the present, the Pretérito Indefinido is used for actions that are seen as completed and disconnected from the present.
Objectives:
- Understand the use and form of the Pretérito Indefinido tense in Spanish.
- Differentiate between Pretérito Indefinido and Pretérito Perfecto tenses.
- Practice forming and using the Pretérito Indefinido in various sentences.
- Recognize scenarios where the Pretérito Indefinido is appropriate for describing past actions.
Structure of Pretérito Indefinido
The Pretérito Indefinido is formed differently based on the conjugation of the verb (AR, ER, IR endings). Here’s how regular verbs are conjugated:
-ar Verbs Rule: Replace -ar with -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron. Example: hablar → hablé Conjugation:
- Hablé (I spoke)
- Hablaste (You spoke)
- Habló (He/She spoke)
- Hablamos (We spoke)
- Hablasteis (You all spoke)
- Hablaron (They spoke).
-er Verbs Rule: Replace -er with -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron. Example: comer → comí Conjugation:
- Comí (I ate)
- Comiste (You ate)
- Comió (He/She ate)
- Comimos (We ate)
- Comisteis (You all ate)
- Comieron (They ate).
-ir Verbs Rule: Replace -ir with -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron. Example: vivir → viví Conjugation:
- Viví (I lived)
- Viviste (You lived)
- Vivió (He/She lived)
- Vivimos (We lived)
- Vivisteis (You all lived)
- Vivieron (They lived).
Example Sentences Using Pretérito Indefinido
Hablar (to speak):
- Ayer hablé con ella. (I spoke with her yesterday.)
Comer (to eat):
- ¿Comiste en ese nuevo restaurante la semana pasada? (Did you eat at that new restaurant last week?)
Vivir (to live):
- Ellos vivieron en Madrid por tres años. (They lived in Madrid for three years.)
Pretérito Indefinido: Irregular Verbs
Also there is a long list of irregular verb forms that you need to memorise. But of course with practice you will be able to learn them. Below you will find some of the common verbs with their full conjugations. In the following lessons you will find an extended table and also tools to practice these verbs.
| Verb | Yo | Tú | Él/Ella/Usted | Nosotros/as | Vosotros/as | Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ser/ir* | fui | fuiste | fue | fuimos | fuisteis | fueron |
| estar | estuve | estuviste | estuvo | estuvisteis | estuvimos | estuvieron |
| tener | tuve | tuviste | tuvo | tuvimos | tuvisteis | tuvieron |
| decir | dije | dijiste | dijo | dijimos | dijisteis | dijeron |
| hacer | hice | hiciste | hizo | hicimos | hicisteis | hicieron |
| morir | morí | moriste | murió | morimos | moristeis | murieron |
| poner | puse | pusiste | puso | pusimos | pusisteis | pusieron |
| ver | vi | viste | vio | vimos | visteis | vieron |
| saber | supe | supiste | supo | supimos | supisteis | supieron |
| venir | vine | viniste | vino | vinimos | vinisteis | vinieron |
| querer | quise | quisiste | quiso | quisimos | quisisteis | quisieron |
| poder | pude | pudiste | pudo | pudimos | pudisteis | pudieron |
| andar | anduve | anduviste | anduvo | anduvimos | anduvisteis | anduvieron |
| dar | di | diste | dio | dimos | disteis | dieron |
| traer | traje | trajiste | trajo | trajimos | trajisteis | trajeron |
Using Pretérito Indefinido
This tense is essential in Spanish for narrating events that occurred at specific points in the past, providing a clear and definite completion of the action. It is particularly useful for telling stories, reporting past events, or expressing actions that have no direct link to the present. The following phrases are usually used when talking in pretérito indefinido:
- El año pasado… (Last year…)
- Hace un mes… (A month ago…)
- Durante la feria… (During the fair…)
- Cuando visitamos… (When we visited…)
- Antes de la pandemia… (Before the pandemic…)
- Después del concierto… (After the concert…)
- En la última reunión… (At the last meeting…)
- Durante el verano pasado… (During last summer…)
- Cuando construyeron… (When they built…)
- Al finalizar el proyecto… (When the project was completed…)
- Ayer… (Yesterday…)
- El lunes… (On Monday…)
- La semana pasada… (Last week…)
- Hace unos días… (A few days ago…)
- Hace dos años… (Two years ago…)
- En 2021… (In 2021…)
- El año pasado… (Last year…)
Dialogue: Familia García Discussing Past Events in Pretérito Indefinido
| Spanish (Español) | English (Inglés) |
|---|---|
| Antonio: El año pasado viajé a Málaga. | Antonio: Last year, I traveled to Málaga. |
| Penélope: Vi la nueva exposición en el museo hace dos meses. | Penélope: I saw the new exhibition at the museum two months ago. |
| Lucía: Aprendí a tocar la guitarra el mes pasado. | Lucía: I learned to play the guitar last month. |
| Juan: ¿Hiciste tus deberes ayer, Lucía? | Juan: Did you do your homework yesterday, Lucía? |
| Lucía: Sí, los terminé anoche. | Lucía: Yes, I finished them last night. |
| Abuela Rosa: Cociné paella para todos el domingo pasado. | Grandma Rosa: I cooked paella for everyone last Sunday. |
| Abuelo Miguel: Leí las noticias sobre el carnaval la semana pasada. | Grandpa Miguel: I read the news about the carnival last week. |