Imperfect vs Preterite
The preterite tells us specifically when an action took place.
The imperfect tells us in general when an action took place.
The preterite is used for:
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Actions that can be viewed as single events
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Actions that were repeated a specific number of times
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Actions that occurred during a specific period of time
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Actions that were part of a chain of events
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To state the beginning or the end of an action
The imperfect is used in the following situations:
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For actions that were repeated habitually
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For actions that “set the stage” for another past action
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For telling time
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To describe the characteristics of people or things
Words & Phrases Indicating Tense
Some phrases indicate specific time frames —> preterite tense
Some phrases indicate repetitive, vague or non-specific time frames —> imperfect tense
Preterite | Imperfect |
|---|---|
ayer - yesterday | a menudo - often |
anoche - last night | a veces - sometimes |
el otro día - the other day | muchas veces - many times |
en ese momento - at that moment | cada día - every day |
entonces - then | siempre - always |
esta mañana - this morning | cada año - every year |
la semana pasada - last week | todo el tiempo - all the time |
