Past Tense

Preterite

Imperfect

Preterite vs Imperfect

Preterite conjugation

Regular Verb Endings:

___-ar__ _ ____-er/-ir___

-é -amos -í -imos

-aste -asteis -iste -isteis

-ó -aron -ió -ieron

Preterite conjugationIrregular Yo

Yo spelling changes:

-car -qué-gar -gué-zar -cé

Otros verbos –car

acercarse (to come near, approach) buscar (to look for)arrancar (to pull out, start (engine) chocar (to crash)colocar (to place, put) complicar (to complicate)comunicar (to communicate) criticar (to criticize, critique)dedicar (to dedicate, devote) educar (to educate)embarcarse (to board, go on board) marcar (to dial, mark)equivocarse (to make a mistake) masticar (to chew)fabricar (to make, manufacture) pescar (to fish)justificar (to justify, give a reason for) platicar (to chat)practicar (to practice) secar (to dry)explicar (to explain)sacar (to take out, remove, receive [grades])

Otros verbos –gar

agregar (to add) ahogarse (to drown)apagar (to turn off) cargar (to carry, load)castigar (to punish) despegar (to take off, peel off)pagar (to pay) pegar (to hit, glue)tragar (to swallow) llegar (to arrive)encargar (to put in charge, order [goods])Stem changerscolgar (ue) (to hang up) fregar (ie) to wash dishes, scrub)negar (ie) (to deny) regar (ie) (to water plants)jugar (ue) (to play a game, sports)rogar (ue) (to beg)

Otros verbos –zar

almorzar (to eat lunch) abrazar (to hug)

aterrizar (to land) cruzar (to cross)

comenzar (ie) (to begin) empezar (ie) (to begin)

especializarse en (to specialize in, major in)

garantizar (to guarantee) gozar (to enjoy)

lanzar (to throw) rezar (to pray)

realizar (to carry out, attain, realize)

tranquilizar (to calm down)

tropezar (ie) (to trip, stumble) utilizar (to use, make use of)

Preterite Irregular Conjugation -uve group

andar- to walk – anduve, anduviste, anduvo, anduvimos, anduvisteis, anduvieron

tener- to have– tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvimos, tuvisteis, tuvieron

estar- to be– estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron

Preterite Irregular Conjugation I group

hacer- to do, to make– hice, hiciste, hizo, hicimos, hicisteis, hicieron

venir- to come– vine, viniste, vino, vinimos, vinisteis, vinieron

querer- to want– quise, quisiste, quiso, quisimos, quisisteis, quisieron

Preterite Irregular Conjugation J group

traer- to bring– traje, trajiste, trajo, trajimos, trajisteis, trajeron

decir- to have– dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron

traducir- to translate

(all -ucir verbs like conducir to drive)– traduje, tradujiste, tradujo, tradujimos, tradujisteis, tradujeron

Preterite Irregular Conjugation supe, pu-, pu- group

saber- to know– supe, supiste, supo, supimos, supisteis, supieron

poner- to put– puse, pusiste, puso, pusimos, pusisteis, pusieron

poder- to be able– pude, pudiste, pudo, pudimos, pudisteis, pudieron

Preterite Irregular ConjugationOther Verbs

caber- to fit– cupe, cupiste, cupo, cupimos, cupisteis, cupieron

satisfacer- – satisfice, satisficiste, satisfizo, satisficimos, satisficisteis, satisficieron

Preterite Irregular Conjugation

Ser- to be and ir- to go. (You know which verb it is by using context of the sentence)

fui fuimos

fuiste fuisteis

fue fueron

Dar and Ver

dar- to give ver- to see

di dimos vi vimos

diste disteis viste visteis

dio dieron vio vieron

Preterite Stem Changers

Stem changes occur in –ir verbs only. Stem changes occur in él/ella/Ud. and

ellos/ellas/Uds only. Stem changes are:

– e i– o u

Preterite Stem Changers

sentir (ei, i) (to feel) advertir (ei, i) (to warn)

convertir (ei, i) (to convert) convertirse (ei, i) (to become)

divertir (ei, i) (to amuse) mentir (ei, i) (to lie)

divertirse (ei, i) (to amuse oneself) preferir (ei, i) (to prefer)

sentir (ei, i) (to feel, be sorry) sentirse (ei, i) (to feel)

dormir (ue, u) (to sleep) morir (ue, u) (to die)

dormirse (ue, u) (to fall asleep)

Preterite Stem Changers

servir (i, i) (to serve) medir (i, i) (to measure)

repetir (i, i) (to repeat) seguir (i, i) (to continue)

despedir (i, i) (to fire someone) vestir (i, i) (to dress)

pedir (i, i) (to ask for, request) reír (i, i) (to smile)

conseguir (i, i) (to get, obtain) sonreír (i, i) (to laugh)

vestirse (i, i) (to dress oneself) freír (i, i) (to fry)

despedirse de (i, i) (to say good-bye to)

Preterite conjugationi to y change (not –uir)

Verbs that end in –er or –ir whose stem ends in a vowel, change i to y in the 3rd person forms, él/ella/Ud. and ellos/ellas/Uds only.

leer

leí leímos

leíste leistéis

leyó leyeroncaerse (to fall down), creer (to believe), oír (to hear), poseer (to posess)

Preterite conjugation-uir verbs (not –guir verbs)

Verbs ending in –uir also change i to y.

(Note: there are no accents on tú, nosotros, y vosotros)

concluir- (to conclude)

concluí concluimos

concluiste concluisteis

concluyó concluyeron

Preterite conjugation Other –uir Verbs

atribuir (to attribute)

construir (to build)

contribuir (to contribute)

distribuir (to distribute)

huir (to flee)

incluir (to include)

Translation

The English Translation for the preterite is:

 

Yo hablé- I spoke

Preterit Trigger Words:

• ayer• anteayer• una vez• alguna vez• dos veces• por primera

vez• luego• entonces• de repente• de pronto

• el domingo• el sábado

pasado• el fin de

semana pasado

• por fin• finalmente• durante• cuando

• anoche• hace # años

que ..• un día • la semana

pasada• el otro día• el mes/año

pasado el día anterior

Preterite Uses:

Specific Action Happened Once Specific Point in Time Sequential Actions Narration (AKA telling a story) Interrupting Action Beginning or End of an action in past

Imperfect Regular Verb Endings:

__-ar__ -er/-ir_ _

-aba -ábamos -ía -íamos

-abas -abais -ías -íais

-aba -aban -ía -ían

Imperfect 3 irregular verbs:

__ir__ __ser__ __ver__

iba íbamos era éramos veía veíamos

ibas ibais eras erais veías veíais

iba iban era eran veía veían

Imperfect Translation

The English Translation for the imperfect is:

 

I used to speak

Yo hablaba- I was speaking

I would speak

I spoke

Imperfect Trigger Words:

• algunas veces• generalmente• por lo general• muchas veces• todos los días• a menudo • siempre• los lunes/los martes • raramente• rara vez

• frecuentemente• a veces• mientras• de vez en cuando• cada (día, año, etc.)• los fines de semana• antes• en el pasado• a menudo• usualmente

Imperfect Uses:

Repeated Action Continuous Action Habitual Actions (aka “Used to”) Descriptions/ Physical Appearance/ Emotional State Background Info Day/Date/Weather/Age 2 Actions Occurring at the Same Time An ongoing action interrupted by another action

(2nd action is preterite)

Comparing Usage

Preterite Specific Action Happened Once Specific Point in Time Sequential Actions Narration (AKA telling a story) Interrupting Action Beginning or End of an action

in past

Imperfect Repeated Action Continuous Action Habitual Actions (aka “Used to”) Descriptions/ Physical

Appearance/ Emotional State Background Info Day/Date/Weather/Age 2 Actions Occurring at the Same

Time An ongoing action interrupted by

another action (2nd action is preterite)

Preterite vs Imperfect: verbs that change meaning

Verb Preterite Imperfect Conocer Conocí- I met Conocía- I knew(to know a person or place) saber Supe- I found out Sabía- I knew(to know a fact or how to do something) pensar Pensé- It dawned on me Pensaba- I thought(to think) I realized

poder Pude- I managed Podía- I could (to be able, can) I was able

Preterite vs Imperfect: verbs that change meaning

Verb Preterite Imperfect 

no poder No pude- I couldn´t (failed to) No podía- I couldn´t(to not be able) (a specific effort and (No reference to specific

failure implied) effort or failure) querer Quise- I tried Quería- I wanted(to want) no querer No quise- I refused No quería- I didn´t (to not want) want to tener Tuve- I got Tenía- I had(to have)

Preterite vs Imperfect: verbs that change meaning

Verb Preterite Imperfect

tener que Tuve que...- I had to... Tenía que...- I was

(to have to...) supposed to...

 

costar Costó- It cost Costaba- It cost

(to cost) (and I bought it (implies that I didn´t buy it)