Preterite Tense

El Tiempo Pretérito

Verb Conjugation Trainer

Introduction

Introducción

Also known as the simple past tense, the Spanish preterite tense describes actions that took place in the past and were completed in the past.

It is often confused with the imperfect tense, which describes on going, past events.

The examples below illustrate the difference with the verb comer (to eat):

Preterite
Él comió
He ate.

Imperfect
Él comia.
He was eating.

Vocabulary

Vocabulario

escribir
to write
entender
to understand
contar
to recount to tell to count
pedir
to ask for to order

Verb Conjugations

Conjugaciones verbales

non-finite
no finito
indicative
indicativo
subjunctive
subjunctivo
conditional
condicional
imperative
imperativo

Related Lessons

Lecciones relacionadas

Present Subjunctive
El Modo Subjuntivo del Presente
Present Tense
El Tiempo Presente
Imperfect Tense
El Tiempo Imperfecto
Imperative Mood
El Modo Imperativo
Future Tense
El Tiempo Futuro

Courses

Cursos

Intermediate
Intermedio
Grammar
Gramática
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