Preterite imperfect

1. Past Tense
Preterite
Imperfect
Preterite vs Imperfect

2. Preterite conjugation
Regular Verb Endings:
___-ar__ _ ____-er/-ir___
-é -amos -í-imos
-aste-asteis -iste-isteis
-ó -aron -ió-ieron

3. Preterite conjugation
Irregular Yo
Yo spelling changes:
-car -qué
-gar -gué
-zar -cé

4. Otros verbos –car
acercarse (to come near, approach)buscar (to look for)
arrancar (to pull out, start (engine)chocar (to crash)
colocar (to place, put) complicar (to complicate)
comunicar (to communicate) criticar (to criticize, critique)
dedicar (to dedicate, devote) educar (to educate)
embarcarse (to board, go on board)marcar (to dial, mark)
equivocarse (to make a mistake) masticar (to chew)
fabricar (to make, manufacture) pescar (to fish)
justificar (to justify, give a reason for)platicar (to chat)
practicar (to practice) secar (to dry)
explicar (to explain)
sacar (to take out, remove, receive [grades])

5. Otros verbos –gar
agregar (to add) ahogarse (to drown)
apagar (to turn off) cargar (to carry, load)
castigar (to punish) despegar (to take off, peel off)
pagar (to pay) pegar (to hit, glue)
tragar (to swallow) llegar (to arrive)
encargar (to put in charge, order [goods])
Stem changers
colgar (ue) (to hang up) fregar (ie) to wash dishes, scrub)
negar (ie) (to deny) regar (ie) (to water plants)
jugar (ue) (to play a game, sports)
rogar (ue) (to beg)

6. Otros verbos –zar
almorzar (to eat lunch) abrazar (to hug)
aterrizar (to land) cruzar (to cross)
comenzar (ie) (to begin) empezar (ie) (to begin)
especializarse en (to specialize in, major in)
garantizar (to guarantee) gozar (to enjoy)
lanzar (to throw) rezar (to pray)
realizar (to carry out, attain, realize)
tranquilizar (to calm down)
tropezar (ie) (to trip, stumble) utilizar (to use, make use of)

7. Preterite Irregular Conjugation
-uve group
andar- to walk
–anduve, anduviste, anduvo, anduvimos, anduvisteis, anduvieron
tener- to have
–tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvimos, tuvisteis, tuvieron
estar- to be
–estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron

8. Preterite Irregular Conjugation
I group
hacer- to do, to make
–hice, hiciste, hizo, hicimos, hicisteis, hicieron
venir- to come
–vine, viniste, vino, vinimos, vinisteis, vinieron
querer- to want
–quise, quisiste, quiso, quisimos, quisisteis, quisieron

9. Preterite Irregular Conjugation
J group
traer- to bring
–traje, trajiste, trajo, trajimos, trajisteis, trajeron
decir- to have
–dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron
traducir- to translate
(all -ucir verbs like conducir to drive)
–traduje, tradujiste, tradujo, tradujimos, tradujisteis, tradujeron

10. Preterite Irregular Conjugation
supe, pu-, pu- group
saber- to know
–supe, supiste, supo, supimos, supisteis, supieron
poner- to put
–puse, pusiste, puso, pusimos, pusisteis, pusieron
poder- to be able
–pude, pudiste, pudo, pudimos, pudisteis, pudieron

11. Preterite Irregular Conjugation
Other Verbs
caber- to fit
–cupe, cupiste, cupo, cupimos, cupisteis, cupieron
satisfacer-
–satisfice, satisficiste, satisfizo, satisficimos, satisficisteis, satisficieron

12. Preterite Irregular Conjugation
Ser- to be and ir- to go.
(You know which verb it is by using context of the sentence)
fui fuimos
fuistefuisteis
fue fueron

13. Dar and Ver
dar- to give ver- to see
didimos vi vimos
diste disteis viste visteis
dio dieron vio vieron

14. Preterite Stem Changers
Stem changes occur in –ir verbs only.
Stem changes occur in él/ella/Ud. and
ellos/ellas/Uds only.
Stem changes are:
–e i
–o u

15. Preterite Stem Changers
sentir (ei, i) (to feel) advertir (ei, i) (to warn)
convertir (ei, i) (to convert) convertirse (ei, i) (to become)
divertir (ei, i) (to amuse) mentir (ei, i) (to lie)
divertirse (ei, i) (to amuse oneself) preferir (ei, i) (to prefer)
sentir (ei, i) (to feel, be sorry) sentirse (ei, i) (to feel)
dormir (ue, u) (to sleep) morir (ue, u) (to die)
dormirse (ue, u) (to fall asleep)

16. Preterite Stem Changers
servir (i, i) (to serve) medir (i, i) (to measure)
repetir (i, i) (to repeat) seguir (i, i) (to continue)
despedir (i, i) (to fire someone) vestir (i, i) (to dress)
pedir (i, i) (to ask for, request)reír (i, i) (to smile)
conseguir (i, i) (to get, obtain) sonreír (i, i) (to laugh)
vestirse (i, i) (to dress oneself) freír (i, i) (to fry)
despedirse de (i, i) (to say good-bye to)

17. Preterite conjugation
i to y change (not –uir)
Verbs that end in –er or –ir whose stem ends
in a vowel, change i to y in the 3
rd
person
forms, él/ella/Ud. and ellos/ellas/Uds only.
leer
leí leímos
leíste leistéis
leyó leyeron
caerse (to fall down), creer (to believe), oír (to hear), poseer (to posess)

18. Preterite conjugation
-uir verbs (not –guir verbs)
Verbs ending in –uir also change i to y.
(Note: there are no accents on tú, nosotros, y
vosotros)
concluir- (to conclude)
concluí concluimos
concluisteconcluisteis
concluyó concluyeron

19. Preterite conjugation
Other –uir Verbs
atribuir (to attribute)
construir (to build)
contribuir (to contribute)
distribuir (to distribute)
huir (to flee)
incluir (to include)

20. Translation
The English Translation for the preterite is:

Yo hablé- I spoke

21. Preterite Trigger Words:
ayer anteayer
una vez luego
entonces de repente
cuando anoche
hace # años que ...
la semana pasada
el mes/año pasado

22. Preterite Uses:
Specific Action
Happened Once
Specific Point in Time
Sequential Actions
Narration (AKA telling a story)
Interrupting Action
Beginning or End of an action in past

23. Imperfect Regular Verb Endings:
__-ar__ -er/-ir_ _
-aba -ábamos -ía-íamos
-abas -abais -ías-íais
-aba -aban -ía-ían

24. Imperfect 3 irregular verbs:
__ir__ __ser__ __ver__
iba íbamos era éramos veía veíamos
ibas ibais eras erais veías veíais
iba iban era eran veía veían

25. Imperfect Translation
The English Translation for the imperfect is:

I used to speak
Yo hablaba- I was speaking
I would speak
I spoke

26. Imperfect Trigger Words:
algunas veces generalmente
muchas veces todos los días
a menudo siempre
frecuentemente a veces
mientras de vez en cuando
cada (día, año, etc.)los lunes/los martes

27. Imperfect Uses:
Repeated Action
Continuous Action
Habitual Actions (aka “Used to”)
Descriptions/ Physical Appearance/ Emotional
State
Background Info
Day/Date/Weather/Age
2 Actions Occurring at the Same Time
An ongoing action interrupted by another action
(2nd action is preterite)

28. Comparing Usage
Preterite
Specific Action
Happened Once
Specific Point in Time
Sequential Actions
Narration (AKA telling a
story)
Interrupting Action
Beginning or End of an
action in past
Imperfect
Repeated Action
Continuous Action
Habitual Actions (aka “Used to”)
Descriptions/ Physical
Appearance/ Emotional State
Background Info
Day/Date/Weather/Age
2 Actions Occurring at the Same
Time
An ongoing action interrupted by
another action (2nd action is
preterite)

29. Preterite vs Imperfect:
verbs that change meaning
Verb Preterite Imperfect

Conocer Conocí- I met Conocía- I knew
(to know a person or place)

saber Supe- I found out Sabía- I knew
(to know a fact or
how to do something)

pensar Pensé- It dawned on me Pensaba- I thought
(to think) I realized
poder Pude- I managed Podía- I could
(to be able, can) I was able

30. Preterite vs Imperfect:
verbs that change meaning
Verb Preterite Imperfect
no poder No pude- I couldn´t (failed to)No podía- I couldn´t
(to not be able)(a specific effort and (No reference to specific
failure implied) effort or failure)

querer Quise- I tried Quería- I wanted
(to want)

no querer No quise- I refused No quería- I didn´t
(to not want) want to

tener Tuve- I got Tenía- I had
(to have)

31. Preterite vs Imperfect:
verbs that change meaning
Verb Preterite Imperfect
tener que Tuve que...- I had to... Tenía que...- I was
(to have to...) supposed to...

costar Costó- It cost Costaba- It cost
(to cost) (and I bought it (implies that I didn´t buy it)