How do I choose between preterite and imperfect?
Use preterite for completed events and imperfect for background, habits, or ongoing past situations.
Spanish Past Tenses Guide
Master the four main past tenses: when to use them and how they differ.
The Four Spanish Past Tenses
⏪
Pluscuamperfecto
Pluperfect
🔄
Imperfecto
Imperfect
✔️
Indefinido
Preterite
🔗
Perfecto
Present perfect
Key differences
✓
Completion
Indefinido and Perfecto focus on completed actions; Imperfect and Pluperfect often describe ongoing or prior context.
✓
Time frame
Perfecto links to the present (today, this week); Indefinido/Imperfect/Pluperfect are fully in the past.
Timeline
⏪
Pluscuamperfecto
🔄
Imperfecto
✔️
Indefinido
🔗
Perfecto
Pluscuamperfecto — Pluperfect
Imperfecto — Imperfect
Indefinido — Preterite
Perfecto — Present perfect
Comparison
Filter:
Pluscuamperfecto — Pluperfect
Usage
Markers
- ya (already)
- todavía no (not yet)
- cuando (when) + past
Conjugation pattern
Examples
- Ya había comido cuando llegaste (I had already eaten when you arrived)
- Cuando llegué, ya se habían ido (When I arrived, they had already left)
Imperfecto — Imperfect
Usage
Markers
- siempre (always)
- a menudo (often)
- mientras (while)
- cuando era niño (when I was a child)
Conjugation pattern
Examples
- Cuando era niño, jugaba en el parque (When I was a child, I used to play in the park)
- Mientras cocinaba, escuchaba música (While I was cooking, I was listening to music)
Indefinido — Preterite
Usage
Markers
- ayer (yesterday)
- anoche (last night)
- el año pasado (last year)
- una vez (once)
Conjugation pattern
Examples
- Ayer comí paella (Yesterday I ate paella)
- El año pasado viajé a España (Last year I travelled to Spain)
Perfecto — Present perfect
Usage
Markers
- hoy (today)
- esta semana (this week)
- nunca (never)
- ya (already)
Conjugation pattern
Examples
- Hoy he comido en casa (Today I have eaten at home)
- Nunca he estado en Madrid (I have never been to Madrid)
Frequently asked questions
When should I use present perfect in Spanish?
Use present perfect for past actions connected to the present, especially with markers like today, this week, or already.
What is the best way to master past tenses?
Train contrast sets with the same verb across imperfect, preterite, and present perfect, then apply them in short story practice.