Mastering Spanish past tenses can be tricky, especially when deciding between the preterite and imperfect. If you’ve ever wondered when to use each one, this guide has preterite vs imperfect Spanish explained in a clear and simple way. Understanding the difference between these two past tenses will help you sound more natural and confident in Spanish conversations. Let’s break it down step by step!

When to Use the Preterite Tense

The preterite tense is used for:

• Actions completed at a specific time
• Events that happened once
• Actions with a clear beginning or end

Key question: Did the action start and finish?
If yes, use the preterite!

Think of the preterite as the “action movie” tense.

Examples:

• Ayer fui al cine.
  (Yesterday, I went to the movies.)
• El año pasado viajé a México.
  (Last year, I traveled to Mexico.)
• Compré un coche nuevo la semana pasada.
  (I bought a new car last week.)
• Nos casamos en 2015.
  (We got married in 2015.)
• Estudié tres horas anoche.
  (I studied for three hours last night.)

When to Use the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense is used for:

• Ongoing or repeated actions
• Background descriptions
• Telling time, age, or weather
• Mental or emotional states

✅ Key question: Was the action continuous, habitual, or background information?
If yes, use the imperfect!

Think of the imperfect as the “background story” tense.

Examples:

• Cuando era niño, jugaba mucho.
  (When I was a child, I played a lot.)
• Siempre comíamos juntos los domingos.
  (We always ate together on Sundays.)
• Hacía mucho calor en el verano.
  (It was very hot in the summer.)
• Mi abuela siempre contaba historias antes de dormir.
  (My grandmother always told stories before bedtime.)
• Estudiaba mientras escuchaba música.
  (I was studying while listening to music.)

Regular Verb Conjugations

Preterite Regular Conjugation

Imperfect Regular Conjugation

Irregular Verb Conjugations

Preterite Irregular Verbs

Imperfect Irregular Verbs

Only three verbs are irregular in the imperfect:

More Example Pairs: Preterite vs Imperfect

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t use the imperfect when the action has a clear end.
  ❌ Ayer jugaba todo el día.
  ✅ Ayer jugué todo el día.
• Don’t use the preterite for describing people or settings.
  ❌ La casa fue grande y bonita.
  ✅ La casa era grande y bonita.

Quick Practice Challenge

Change the tense of these sentences:

Ella leyó el libro en dos días.
– Ella leía el libro cada noche antes de dormir.

Anoche estudié español.
– Anoche estudiaba español.

Viajamos a Colombia en 2019.
– Viajábamos a Colombia todos los años. (if habitual)

Mi mamá cocinó arroz.
– Mi mamá cocinaba arroz cuando llegué.

Final Thoughts

Understanding preterite vs imperfect doesn’t have to be confusing.

• Preterite = Completed Action
• Imperfect = Ongoing, Habitual, or Background

With regular practice and plenty of examples, you’ll start to recognize the patterns easily—and speak more naturally!

If you want to improve your Spanish and sound more natural, don’t miss our latest blog post: “Think in Spanish! How to Rephrase Sentences Like a Native.” Learn practical tips to restructure sentences like a fluent speaker. Check it out now!

Want to take your Spanish to the next level? Book a free consultation with Hannah today and explore customized online classes designed just for you! Plus, don’t forget to subscribe to our free newsletter to get part two of this mini-lesson.

Mastering Preterite vs Imperfect

You can download this resource to support yourself.

Real Feedback from Our Students

Discover what makes our lessons a great learning experience. Check out their stories!

Do you want to see more reviews? Visit us on Google or Facebook to see what our students say.