Skip to main content
Humanities LibreTexts

9.3: Time Expressions for the Preterite Tense

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF
  • Page ID
    44594

    • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    El pretérito is used to discuss events in the past that were one-time occurrences, interrupting actions, or actions confined to a specific time period.

    For this reason, the expressions below will elicit the use of the preterite tense.

    Ayer:________

    Anoche:________

    Anteayer: ________

    El/la ________ pasad@: ________

    Hace (x amount of time) ________

    Por/ durante (x amount of time) ________

    Una vez: ________

    Por primera vez: ________

    El otro día: ________

    Esta mañana/ tarde/ noche: ________

    En el verano de 2012: ________

    (Pinpointed moment in time)

    De repente: ________

    Entonces: ________

    (Interrupting actions)

    This is not an exhaustive list, but is a good list of common time-related expressions that lend themselves well to the preterite tense.

    *You can use siempre and nunca with the preterite, too. Evaluate their use on a case-by-case basis, remembering that preterite is used for one-time actions and the imperfect is used for repeated actions.

    - Julián nunca me llamó.

    In this example, it implies a specific event. You were waiting for his call one day, and, “Julián never called me.”

    - Julián nunca me llamaba.

    In this example, it implies that it happened more than once. You often expected or hoped to hear from him, but, “Julián never used to call me,” or, “Julián would never call me.”

    Picture186.png
    Mi familia y yo fuimos a Disneylandia en el año 1989.
    Picture185.png
    Mi sobrina aprendió a montar en bicicleta el fin de semana pasado.

    Actividad 6

    La última vez. Use a preterite time expression to say when was the last time you did the following activities. Audio Video

    1. Correr más de tres millas: ________

    2. Cocinar algo delicioso: ________

    3. Acampar: ________

    4. Salir a cenar: ________

    5. Ir de vacaciones: ________

    6. Visitar a la familia extendida: ________

    Picture187.png

    Actividad 7

    ¿Por cuánto tiempo? Use “por” and an amount of time to say for how long you did these actions in the past. Audio Video

    1. Yo asistí a la escuela primaria: ________

    2. Yo trabajé en mi primer empleo:________

    3. Yo estudié para la última prueba de español:________

    4. Yo salí con mi primer(a) novi@:________

    5. Yo estuve de vacaciones:________

    This page titled 9.3: Time Expressions for the Preterite Tense is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Erin Huebener (Independent) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.