Module 6: Mastering Past Tenses and Talking About the Past

In this module, we’ll focus on understanding and using the past tenses in Spanish. We’ll start with the simple past (pretérito) and then move on to more complex tenses like the imperfect. You’ll also learn how to use these tenses to narrate past events, describe habitual actions, and express emotions tied to the past.

Lesson 1: The Preterite Tense (Pretérito)

What is the Preterite Tense?

The preterite tense is used to talk about actions that were completed at a specific point in the past.

Regular Preterite Conjugation:

Regular verbs are conjugated by removing the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, -ir) and adding the preterite endings.

- -ar verbs:
  - Yo hablé – I spoke
  - Tú hablaste – You spoke
  - Él/Ella habló – He/She spoke
  - Nosotros/Nosotras hablamos – We spoke
  - Ellos/Ellas hablaron – They spoke
- -er verbs:
  - Yo comí – I ate
  - Tú comiste – You ate
  - Él/Ella comió – He/She ate
  - Nosotros/Nosotras comimos – We ate
  - Ellos/Ellas comieron – They ate
- -ir verbs:
  - Yo viví – I lived
  - Tú viviste – You lived
  - Él/Ella vivió – He/She lived
  - Nosotros/Nosotras vivimos – We lived
  - Ellos/Ellas vivieron – They lived

Example:

Ayer estudié todo el día. – I studied all day yesterday.
Comí una pizza ayer. – I ate a pizza yesterday.

For commonly used Spanish Verbs and their conjugations in the Present Tense, click here.

Lesson 2: Irregular Preterite Verbs

Key Irregular Verbs in the Preterite Tense:

Some verbs in the preterite tense have irregular stems or unique conjugations.

- Ser / Ir (to be / to go):
  - Yo fui – I went / I was
  - Tú fuiste – You went / You were
  - Él/Ella fue – He/She went / He/She was
  - Nosotros fuimos – We went / We were
  - Ellos/Ellas fueron – They went / They were
- Hacer (to do, to make):
  - Yo hice – I did / I made
  - Tú hiciste – You did / You made
  - Él/Ella hizo – He/She did / He/She made
  - Nosotros hicimos – We did / We made
  - Ellos/Ellas hicieron – They did / They made
- Tener (to have):
  - Yo tuve – I had
  - Tú tuviste – You had
  - Él/Ella tuvo – He/She had
  - Nosotros tuvimos – We had
  - Ellos/Ellas tuvieron – They had

For commonly used Spanish Verbs and their conjugations in the Preterite Tense, click here.

Lesson 3: The Imperfect Tense (Imperfecto)

What is the Imperfect Tense?

The imperfect tense is used to describe actions that were happening in the past or actions that were habitual or repeated.

Regular Imperfect Conjugation:

Like the preterite tense, regular verbs in the imperfect tense follow specific endings:

- -ar verbs:
  - Yo hablaba – I was talking
  - Tú hablabas – You were talking
  - Él/Ella hablaba – He/She was talking
  - Nosotros hablábamos – We were talking
  - Ellos/Ellas hablaban – They were talking
- -er/-ir verbs:
  - Yo comía – I was eating
  - Tú comías – You were eating
  - Él/Ella comía – He/She was eating
  - Nosotros comíamos – We were eating
  - Ellos/Ellas comían – They were eating

Example:

Cuando era niño, jugaba todos los días. – When I was a child, I played every day.
Nosotros vivíamos en la ciudad. – We used to live in the city.

For commonly used Spanish Verbs and their conjugations in the Preterite Tense, click here.

Lesson 4: Using the Preterite and Imperfect Together

When to Use the Preterite and Imperfect Together:

Preterite is used for completed actions.
Imperfect is used for descriptions, ongoing actions, or habitual actions in the past.

Example:

Cuando era niño, fui al parque todos los días. – When I was a child, I went to the park every day.
(Imperfect for “when I was a child,” preterite for “I went.”)

Lesson 5: Talking About Events and Narration in the Past

Narrating Past Events:

Use the preterite for specific events that happened once, and the imperfect to set the scene or describe ongoing actions in the background.

Example:

Ayer, me levanté temprano y fui al mercado. – Yesterday, I woke up early and went to the market.
Estaba lloviendo cuando salí de casa. – It was raining when I left the house.

Using Time Expressions in the Past:

Learn time expressions that signal when to use the preterite and imperfect:

Ayer (yesterday) – Preterite
Todos los días (every day) – Imperfect
Cuando era niño/a (when I was a child) – Imperfect
Cuando estaba joven (when I was young) – Imperfect
Una vez (one time) – Preterite

Lesson 6: Reflexive Verbs in the Past

Reflexive Verbs in the Preterite:

Reflexive verbs in the preterite follow the same structure as regular preterite verbs but with the reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos).

Example:

Me desperté a las seis. – I woke up at six.
Ella se preparó para la fiesta. – She got ready for the party.

Reflexive Verbs in the Imperfect:

Example:

Me duchaba todos los días. – I used to shower every day.
Nos levantábamos temprano. – We used to wake up early.

End of Module 6: Review

By the end of this module, you’ll be able to express actions and events in the past using both the preterite and imperfect tenses. You’ll also learn how to combine these tenses to narrate stories and express past habits, as well as talk about events in greater detail.