[Generate Unique Quiz]
The preterite tense is used to refer to actions that occurred at a fixed point in time.
I called at 1:00.
Llamé a la una.
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The preterite tense is also used to refer to actions in the past that were performed a specific number of times.
I called you twice.
Te llamé dos veces.
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The preterite tense is also used to refer to actions that occurred during a specific enclosed period of time.
He lived there for 5 years.
Él vivió allí por cinco años.
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The preterite is also used for actions that are part of a chain of events.
I bought a hat, sat down on a bench and fell asleep.
Compré un sombrero, me senté en un banco y me dormí.
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The preterite is also used for sudden changes of mood, feelings or opinions.
At that moment, I was not afraid.
En ese momento, no tuve miedo.
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The preterite is frequently associated with phrases that pinpoint a particular occasion or specific time frame.
ayer
yesterday
ayer por la mañana
yesterday morning
ayer por la tarde
yesterday afternoon
anteayer
the day before yesterday
anoche
last night
desde el primer momento
from the first moment
después
afterwards
durante dos siglos
for two centuries
el año pasado
last year
el lunes por la noche
Monday night
el mes pasado
last month
el otro día
the other day
en ese momento
at that moment
entonces
then
esta mañana
this morning
esta tarde
this afternoon
hace dos días, años
two days, years ago
la semana pasada
last week
If the action is in the past, and you can determine precisely when it occurred, or how many times it occurred, then you will use the preterite.
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Regular forms of the preterite are formed by adding the following endings to the stem of the verb:
-ar verbs
é
aste
ó
amos
asteis
aron example: hablar
hablé
hablaste
habló
hablamos
hablasteis
hablaron
-er verbs
-ir verbs
í
iste
ió
imos
isteis
ieron example: vivir
viví
viviste
vivió
vivimos
vivisteis
vivieron
example: comer
comí
comiste
comió
comimos
comisteis
comieron