The preterite tense is used to describe actions that were completed in the past. Spanish speakers use the preterite to talk about events that happened yesterday, last week, or at a specific moment in time. In this module, you will learn how the preterite tense works and when it is used in conversation.
The preterite describes completed past actions.
Example:
Yo estudié ayer. – I studied yesterday.
Sample Sentences
Yo estudié español ayer. – I studied Spanish yesterday.
Ella visitó Antigua el año pasado. – She visited Antigua last year.
Nosotros compramos comida. – We bought food.
Él llamó a su amigo. – He called his friend.
Ellos terminaron el proyecto. – They finished the project.
The preterite often appears with specific time expressions.
Examples:
ayer – yesterday
anoche – last night
la semana pasada – last week
Sample Sentences
Yo viajé ayer. – I traveled yesterday.
Ella trabajó anoche. – She worked last night.
Nosotros salimos la semana pasada. – We went out last week.
Él llegó temprano ayer. – He arrived early yesterday.
Ellos estudiaron anoche. – They studied last night.
The preterite describes actions that began and finished in the past.
Sample Sentences
Yo terminé el trabajo. – I finished the work.
Ella abrió la tienda. – She opened the store.
Nosotros visitamos el museo. – We visited the museum.
Él preparó la comida. – He prepared the food.
Ellos compraron boletos. – They bought tickets.
The preterite is often used to describe a sequence of events.
Sample Sentences
Yo llegué, comí y descansé. – I arrived, ate, and rested.
Ella salió y llamó a su madre. – She left and called her mother.
Nosotros caminamos y visitamos el parque. – We walked and visited the park.
Él estudió y terminó el examen. – He studied and finished the exam.
Ellos viajaron y exploraron la ciudad. – They traveled and explored the city.
Spanish speakers use the preterite constantly when talking about past experiences.
Sample Sentences
Yo hablé con el profesor. – I spoke with the professor.
Ella visitó a su familia. – She visited her family.
Nosotros aprendimos mucho. – We learned a lot.
Él escribió un mensaje. – He wrote a message.
Ellos trabajaron juntos. – They worked together.
n this module, you learned how the preterite tense describes actions that were completed in the past. You also saw how time expressions such as ayer and anoche help indicate when the action occurred. The preterite is one of the most important verb tenses in Spanish because it allows speakers to talk about past experiences and events.