The Animated Book
of SpanishGrammar Reference

Preterite vs Imperfect

Adapted from The Animated Book of Spanish, an interactive Spanish grammar book.

Spanish has two simple past tenses. The preterite (hablé) tells you what happened. The imperfect (hablaba) describes what was going on, what used to happen, and what things were like.
Regular preterite and imperfect endings side by side, for -ar verbs and for -er and -ir verbs
Subject‑ar‑er / ‑ir
PreteriteImperfectPreteriteImperfect
yo‑é‑aba‑í‑ía
tú‑aste‑abas‑iste‑ías
él / ella / usted‑ó‑aba‑ió‑ía
nosotros‑amos‑ábamos‑imos‑íamos
vosotros‑asteis‑abais‑isteis‑íais
ellos / ellas / ustedes‑aron‑aban‑ieron‑ían

For irregular verbs and full conjugations, see the preterite and the imperfect.

On this page

Events vs background information

Think of a story as a stage. The imperfect is the scenery: it was already there, and it keeps going in the background. The preterite is the action: things that happen on that stage, at a specific point in time.

  • Preterite: events. They happened, and they're over.
  • Imperfect: the background. It was going on, with no clear start or end.

When to use each

Most of the choice comes down to four contrasts. In each pair below, only the tense changes, and so does the meaning.

  1. Once vs. a habit

    The preterite tells about one occasion. The imperfect tells what used to happen.

    1. Preterite
      Fui a la playa el sábado.

      I went to the beach on Saturday.

      Imperfect
      De niño, iba a la playa todos los veranos.

      As a kid, I went to the beach every summer.

    2. Preterite
      Ayer comimos en un restaurante.

      Yesterday we ate at a restaurant.

      Imperfect
      Los domingos comíamos en casa de mi abuela.

      On Sundays we used to eat at my grandma’s house.

  2. An event vs. a description

    The preterite sums up an event. The imperfect describes what someone or something was like.

    1. Preterite
      La fiesta fue increíble.

      The party was amazing.

      Imperfect
      La casa era grande y tenía un jardín.

      The house was big and had a yard.

    2. Preterite
      El examen fue difícil.

      The exam was hard.

      Imperfect
      Mi profesora era muy exigente.

      My teacher was very strict.

  3. A set length of time vs. open-ended

    You should use the preterite if the length of time is defined and has an end. The imperfect leaves the end open.

    1. Preterite
      Viví en Chile dos años.

      I lived in Chile for two years.

      Imperfect
      Cuando vivía en Chile, trabajaba en un hotel.

      When I lived in Chile, I worked at a hotel.

    2. Preterite
      Estuve enfermo toda la semana.

      I was sick all week.

      Imperfect
      Estaba enfermo, así que no fui.

      I was sick, so I didn’t go.

  4. Finished vs. in progress

    The preterite says an action happened and finished. The imperfect describes it while it was still happening, often as the backdrop for something else.

    1. Preterite
      Llovió toda la tarde.

      It rained all afternoon.

      Imperfect
      Llovía cuando salí.

      It was raining when I left.

    2. Preterite
      Leí tu mensaje.

      I read your message.

      Imperfect
      Leía cuando llamaste.

      I was reading when you called.

Using both together

Most stories about the past use both. When one action interrupts another, the one in progress takes the imperfect, and the one that cuts in takes the preterite.

  • Estaba en la ducha cuando sonó el teléfono.

    I was in the shower when the phone rang.

  • Mientras cocinaba, se fue la luz.

    While I was cooking, the power went out.

  • Cuando llegué, todos dormían.

    When I got there, everyone was asleep.

Here's a short story with every verb colored by tense. Notice how the imperfect sets the scene, and the preterite moves the story forward.

ImperfectPreterite

Era (imperfect) un martes de noviembre. Llovía (imperfect) y hacía (imperfect) mucho frío. Yo estaba (imperfect) en casa y leía (imperfect) un libro en el sofá. De repente, sonó (preterite) el teléfono. Era (imperfect) mi hermana. Me dijo (preterite) que su coche no funcionaba (imperfect) y que necesitaba (imperfect) ayuda. Cerré (preterite) el libro, busqué (preterite) las llaves y salí (preterite) de casa. Cuando llegué (preterite), ella me esperaba (imperfect) en la puerta con dos cafés.

It was a Tuesday in November. It was raining and it was very cold. I was at home, reading a book on the sofa. Suddenly, the phone rang. It was my sister. She told me her car wasn’t working and she needed help. I closed my book, found my keys, and left the house. When I got there, she was waiting for me at the door with two coffees.

Verbs that change meaning

A few verbs mean something different in each tense. The imperfect describes a state that was going on, and the preterite describes the moment something happened, or didn't. In English, that often calls for a different verb.

  1. Preterite
    Conocí a Ana en 2015.

    I met Ana in 2015.

    Imperfect
    Conocía bien la ciudad.

    I knew the city well.

  2. Preterite
    Supe la verdad ayer.

    I found out the truth yesterday.

    Imperfect
    No sabía la verdad.

    I didn’t know the truth.

  3. Preterite
    Quise llamarte, pero no pude.

    I tried to call you, but I couldn’t.

    Imperfect
    Quería llamarte.

    I wanted to call you.

  4. Preterite
    Mi hermano no quiso venir.

    My brother refused to come.

    Imperfect
    Mi hermano no quería venir.

    My brother didn’t want to come.

  5. Preterite
    Por fin pude dormir.

    I finally managed to sleep.

    Imperfect
    No podía dormir.

    I couldn’t sleep.

  6. Preterite
    Tuve que trabajar.

    I had to work (and I did).

    Imperfect
    Tenía que trabajar, pero no fui.

    I was supposed to work, but I didn’t go.

Signal words

Some words tend to go with one tense or the other. They're good hints, but not rules.

Often with the preterite

  • ayeryesterday
  • anochelast night
  • el año pasadolast year
  • una vezonce
  • de repentesuddenly
  • hace dos díastwo days ago

  • Anoche vimos una película.

    Last night we watched a movie.

  • De repente, empezó a llover.

    Suddenly, it started to rain.

  • Llegaron hace dos días.

    They arrived two days ago.

Often with the imperfect

  • siemprealways
  • todos los díasevery day
  • de niñoas a kid
  • mientraswhile
  • antesbefore, back then
  • a menudooften

  • De niño, siempre jugaba en la calle.

    As a kid, I always played in the street.

  • Mientras hablábamos, el bebé dormía.

    While we were talking, the baby was sleeping.

  • Antes vivíamos en el centro.

    We used to live downtown.

Common mistakes English speakers make

  1. Using the preterite for age

    Incorrect:Cuando tuve diez años, me mudé a Texas.
    Correct:Cuando tenía diez años, me mudé a Texas.

    Age in the past is background, so it takes the imperfect. The move is the event, so me mudé stays in the preterite.

  2. Using the imperfect for a set length of time

    Incorrect:Vivía en Madrid dos años.
    Correct:Viví en Madrid dos años.

    Once you say how long something lasted, you're treating it as a finished whole, so use the preterite.

  3. Using the preterite for the interrupted action

    Incorrect:Leí cuando sonó el teléfono.
    Correct:Leía cuando sonó el teléfono.

    The action that was in progress is the background. Only the one that interrupts it takes the preterite.

  4. Using the preterite for a habit

    Incorrect:De niño, jugué al fútbol todos los días.
    Correct:De niño, jugaba al fútbol todos los días.

    Todos los días makes it a habit, and past habits take the imperfect.

  5. Using the imperfect to sum something up

    Sounds unnatural:Vimos la película. Era increíble.
    Correct:Vimos la película. Fue increíble.

    To give your verdict on the whole thing, use the preterite. Era isn't wrong, but it sounds like you're describing the movie while it was on, not summing it up.

Questions about the preterite and the imperfect

Is there a simple rule for preterite vs imperfect?

The closest thing to one: the preterite tells what happened, and the imperfect describes what was going on around it. Ask yourself whether you're moving the story forward (preterite) or setting the scene (imperfect).

Can both the preterite and the imperfect be correct?

Often, yes, but they don't mean the same thing. Fui a la playa is one trip; iba a la playa is a habit, or a trip that was in progress. Conocí a Ana means "I met Ana," while conocía a Ana means "I knew Ana."

Is it era or fue?

Era describes what someone or something was like: La casa era grande ("The house was big"). Fue sums up an event as a whole: La fiesta fue increíble ("The party was amazing"). To tell the time in the past, use era or eran: Eran las tres ("It was three o'clock").

Why is the preterite vs imperfect so hard for English speakers?

English usually uses one form for both: "I went," "it was." Spanish makes you choose between seeing an action as a finished event or as ongoing background. English only shows that difference sometimes, with "was …-ing" or "used to."

Next upThe past participleThe ‑ado / ‑ido form: irregulars, the perfect tenses, and adjectives.

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