Preterite vs imperfect
Type the missing word in each sentence. You hear each sentence read by a native voice.
Tomás (portarse) como un bebé.
Tomás acted like a baby.
The rule
This is one of the hardest choices in Spanish because both tenses describe past time, but they present the past differently. Use the preterite for what happened. Use the imperfect for what was going on.
The pattern
Use the preterite for a completed event, a beginning, an ending, or a change. It moves the story forward. If you can add “and then it stopped,” the preterite often fits.
Use the imperfect for an ongoing action, a state, a description, or a repeated habit. It gives background information. If you can add “and it was still going on,” the imperfect often fits.
| Use | Preterite | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| Completed event | fui | |
| Ongoing action | iba | |
| Regular habit | cocinaba | |
| Description or state | era, había | |
| Sudden change or event | sonó, llovió |
A common pattern is an interruption: use the imperfect for the action already happening and the preterite for the event that interrupts it.
Another common pattern is scene-setting: use the imperfect to describe the setting, then use the preterite for the events in the story.
Time words are clues, not rules. Ayer often points to the preterite because it often refers to a completed event. Siempre often points to the imperfect because it often describes a habit. The meaning of the sentence decides the tense.
Some verbs, including saber, conocer, querer, poder, and tener, can change meaning depending on the past tense you choose. Those verbs need separate attention.
Examples
- Dormía cuando sonó el teléfono.I was sleeping when the phone rang.
- Ayer fui al mercado.Yesterday I went to the market.
- Era temprano.It was early.
- No había mucha gente.There were not many people.
- Compré fruta.I bought fruit.
- Mi abuela siempre cocinaba los domingos.My grandmother always cooked on Sundays.
- Un día cocinó para veinte personas.One day, she cooked for twenty people.
- De repente, llovió.Suddenly, it rained.
Watch out
- Ayer iba al mercado. Ayer fui al mercado.Use the preterite for a completed trip.
- De repente, llovía. De repente, llovió.A sudden event uses the preterite, not the imperfect.
- Sonaba el teléfono cuando dormí. Sonó el teléfono cuando dormía.The phone ringing is the completed interruption, while sleeping was already in progress.
- Mi abuela cocinó los domingos. Mi abuela cocinaba los domingos.Use the imperfect for a regular past habit.