Introduction
Both are past tenses. The preterite reports completed events: what happened. The imperfect describes background, habits and what was going on.
| preterite | imperfect |
|---|---|
| completed event | ongoing situation or habit |
| Comí a las ocho. (I ate at eight.) | Comía a las ocho. (I used to eat at eight.) |
| answers: what happened? | answers: what was it like? what was going on? |
| ayer, anoche, el lunes pasado | siempre, a menudo, cada día, de niño |
Using Them Together
In a story, the imperfect sets the scene and the preterite moves the action forward. An action in progress (imperfect) is often interrupted by an event (preterite).
- Dormía cuando sonó el teléfono.I was sleeping when the phone rang.
- Hacía sol y había mucha gente. De repente empezó a llover.It was sunny and there were lots of people. Suddenly it started to rain.
- Dormí cuando sonaba el teléfono.Dormía cuando sonó el teléfono.
Verbs That Change Meaning
Some verbs mean something different in the preterite.
| verb | imperfect | preterite |
|---|---|---|
| saber | knew | found out |
| conocer | knew (a person) | met for the first time |
| querer | wanted | tried |
| no querer | didn't want | refused |
| poder | was able to | managed to |
| no poder | wasn't able to | failed to |
- Supe la noticia ayer.I found out the news yesterday.
- Conocí a mi mujer en 2010.I met my wife in 2010.
- No quiso venir.He refused to come.
- No pudo abrir la puerta.He tried but couldn't open the door.
Practice
___ cuando ella llegó. (I was cooking)
Dormía cuando ___ el teléfono. (rang)
Mientras yo ___ (estudiar), mi hermano veía la tele.
The preterite typically answers ___.
De niño, ___ (vivir) en un pueblo.
El lunes pasado ___ (ir, yo) al dentista.
Cuando era joven, ___ (correr) cada mañana.
Conocí a Ana en 2010 means ___.
No quiso venir means ___.
Ayer ___ que estabas enferma. (I found out)
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