Preterite vs. Imperfect

I. Intro: Past time

Spanish expresses the past in two different ways depending on the nature of the action, state, or condition being described. The preterite tense tells us specifically when an action took place. If we use the preterite, we know that the action has a definite beginning and a clear end. The imperfect tells us in general when an action took place, telling time, age, or setting the scene for another action. It is also used to express emotional and physical states as well as characteristics of people, places, or things. The imperfect is less clear - the action does not have a definite beginning or a definite end.

But you already know all this! Let’s go a little deeper and learn some common expressions that trigger either the preterite or the imperfect, and see how these verb tenses can be used together.

II. Preterite: Moments in time

When an action, state, or condition is considered completely finished from the point of view of the person who’s speaking, we use the preterite. Some of the most common time expressions used with past actions to indicate when they began and when they ended at a specific point in time are:

Hace + (time)

La guerra empezó hace diez años. The war started ten years ago.