Does anyone know ways/tricks to learn the difference between preterite and...

[na n]

...imperfect in spanish? Does anyone know ways/tricks to learn the difference between preterite and imperfect in spanish?

[Laura W]

there's really no easy way to remember exactly when to use which, but there are guidelines and rules you can follow.

The easiest way to learn for me was to think of the preterite in its definition: "A single completed action in the past".

This means that there is nothing that ties that one, single event to the present time, it is finished, and it was also not an event that lasted over a long period of time. Every time you have an abrupt event, it will be in the Preterite as well.

i.e. Ayer yo jugué un videojuego.
(Yesterday I played a videogame)



You use Imperfect when you are:

-Describing something/somebody (i.e. characteristics, clothes, weather, color etc.)
-Describing an event that lasted over a period of time i.e. habits (if you'd say "used to do something" in English, use the Imperfect in Spanish)
-Saying the time in the past tense (you use plural oddly enough: eran las tres en la tarde)



If you want to describe an event that interrupted another event, use the Imperfect for the first (longer lasting) event, and Preterite for the one interrupting:

Anoche mi hombre hablaba con su novia, cuando yo lo llamé.
(Last night, my brother was talking to his g/f, when I called him)

hope that helps.
I know it's hard to think of all that, when you're speaking especially. After a while it will come to you naturally though

[brunette17]

Preterit, or "preterito" en espanol, is applied for:
- actions in the past that have been completed
- actions that happened one time only
- a specific action on a specific day

Imperfect, or "imperfecto", is applied for:
- actions that you did on a regular basis (like it was a habit)
- an action that you were doing before you got interrupted (i WAS talking when _________.)

Here are some examples...
preterit:
Yesterday, I WENT to the store. (Ayer, fui a la tienda)
I finished my Spanish test. (Termine mi preuba de espagnol)
I watched a movie with my friend. (Mire una pelicula con mi amiga)

imperfect:
I walked to school every day. (Caminaba a la escuela cada dia)
I was was watching TV when the phone rang. (Mire la television cuando el telefono sono)

It's tricky but you'll get it down with lots of practice.

Good luck/buena suerte!

[Gwendolyn P]

I always remembered that "imperfect" and "hablaba" both have 3 syllables, and "the preterite" and "escribiste" have 4.

[Lexi B]

We just went over this. He said that Imperfect is an instance in time. it is something that happened that happened at a specific moment. Preterite is something that goes on. Imperfect is like a camer and Preterite is like a video camera. If you were walking down the street and singing a song and then someone tripped you, the singing and walking would be preterite and the tripping would be Imperfect.