When do I use the preterite vs the imperfect?

Use the preterite for completed actions with a defined start or end. Use the imperfect for ongoing states, descriptions, or habitual past actions. A useful analogy: the preterite is a snapshot; the imperfect is a video.

What are the most common irregular preterite verbs?

Ser and ir share the same forms (fui, fuiste, fue…). Other key irregulars: tener→tuve, estar→estuve, hacer→hice, poder→pude, poner→puse, venir→vine, saber→supe, decir→dije.

Do -ER and -IR verbs have the same preterite endings?

Yes — both use -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron. The only difference is in stem-changing -IR verbs, where the él/ella and ellos forms have stem changes (e→i or o→u).

Why do ser and ir have identical preterite forms?

This is a historical accident of Spanish evolution. Context almost always makes the meaning clear: Fui al mercado (I went to the market) vs Fui presidente (I was president).

What spelling changes occur in the yo form of the preterite?

Verbs ending in -car change to -qué (buscar→busqué), -gar to -gué (llegar→llegué), and -zar to -cé (empezar→empecé). These preserve the original pronunciation.

Pretérito Indefinido

The Spanish Preterite Tense

Completed actions in the past

The Spanish preterite tense (el pretérito indefinido) expresses actions that were completed at a specific point in the past. It is used for events with a clear beginning and end.

Think of the preterite as a snapshot — it captures a moment or a sequence of moments in the past that are done and finished. It contrasts with the imperfect, which paints a background or describes ongoing states.

The preterite is one of the most important tenses to master. Many irregular verbs have unique preterite stems that must be memorised individually.

When to use the Preterite tense

Completed past actions with a definite endpoint: Comí la pizza entera. (I ate the whole pizza.)
Actions that happened a specific number of times: Viajé a España tres veces. (I travelled to Spain three times.)
Sequences of completed events: Me levanté, me duché y desayuné. (I got up, showered, and had breakfast.)
Interrupting actions (the preterite interrupts the imperfect): Cuando dormía, sonó el teléfono.

How to form the Preterite tense

-AR verbs

Pronoun	Ending
yo	hablé
tú	hablaste
él/ella	habló
nosotros	hablamos
vosotros	hablasteis
ellos/ellas	hablaron

-ER verbs

Pronoun	Ending
yo	comí
tú	comiste
él/ella	comió
nosotros	comimos
vosotros	comisteis
ellos/ellas	comieron

-IR verbs

Pronoun	Ending
yo	viví
tú	viviste
él/ella	vivió
nosotros	vivimos
vosotros	vivisteis
ellos/ellas	vivieron

-ER and -IR verbs share identical preterite endings. Note the accents on yo (hablé, comí) and él/ella (habló, comió) — these distinguish the preterite from the present.

"Ayer hablé con mi madre durante una hora." Yesterday I spoke with my mother for an hour.

Common time signals

ayer
anteayer
la semana pasada
el mes pasado
el año pasado
hace + time
aquel día
una vez
de repente
entonces
finalmente
por fin

Top 20 verbs in the Preterite tense

ser to be (essential/permanent)

yo fui tú fuiste él/ella fue

estar to be (state/location)

yo estuve tú estuviste él/ella estuvo

tener to have

yo tuve tú tuviste él/ella tuvo

hacer to do / to make

yo hice tú hiciste él/ella hizo

poder to be able to / can

yo pude tú pudiste él/ella pudo

decir to say / to tell

yo dije tú dijiste él/ella dijo

ir to go

yo fui tú fuiste él/ella fue

ver to see

yo vi tú viste él/ella vio

dar to give

yo di tú diste él/ella dio

saber to know (facts)

yo supe tú supiste él/ella supo

querer to want / to love

yo quise tú quisiste él/ella quiso

llegar to arrive

yo llegué tú llegaste él/ella llegó

pasar to pass / to happen / to spend (time)

yo pasé tú pasaste él/ella pasó

deber to owe / must / should

yo debí tú debiste él/ella debió

poner to put / to place

yo puse tú pusiste él/ella puso

parecer to seem / to appear

yo parecí tú pareciste él/ella pareció

quedar to stay / to remain / to be left

yo quedé tú quedaste él/ella quedó

creer to believe / to think

yo creí tú creíste él/ella creyó

hablar to speak / to talk

yo hablé tú hablaste él/ella habló

llevar to carry / to take / to wear

yo llevé tú llevaste él/ella llevó

Showing 20 of 500 verbs. Browse by category to explore more.

Frequently asked questions

When do I use the preterite vs the imperfect?: Use the preterite for completed actions with a defined start or end. Use the imperfect for ongoing states, descriptions, or habitual past actions. A useful analogy: the preterite is a snapshot; the imperfect is a video.
What are the most common irregular preterite verbs?: Ser and ir share the same forms (fui, fuiste, fue…). Other key irregulars: tener→tuve, estar→estuve, hacer→hice, poder→pude, poner→puse, venir→vine, saber→supe, decir→dije.
Do -ER and -IR verbs have the same preterite endings?: Yes — both use -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron. The only difference is in stem-changing -IR verbs, where the él/ella and ellos forms have stem changes (e→i or o→u).
Why do ser and ir have identical preterite forms?: This is a historical accident of Spanish evolution. Context almost always makes the meaning clear: Fui al mercado (I went to the market) vs Fui presidente (I was president).
What spelling changes occur in the yo form of the preterite?: Verbs ending in -car change to -qué (buscar→busqué), -gar to -gué (llegar→llegué), and -zar to -cé (empezar→empecé). These preserve the original pronunciation.