Key Idea: Spanish has three main past tenses. The preterite tells what happened, the imperfect sets the scene, and the present perfect links the past to now.
Preterite
- For completed past actions: one event, a sequence, or something at a set time.
- Endings: {{hablé, hablaste, habló|I spoke, you spoke, he/she spoke}} and {{comí, comiste, comió|I ate, you ate, he/she ate}}
- Key irregulars: {{fui, hice, tuve, estuve, dije|I was or went, I did, I had, I was, I said}}
- Accents carry meaning: habló (he spoke) vs hablo (I speak).
Imperfect
- For what used to happen, the background, age, time and weather, and «was doing».
- Endings: {{hablaba, hablabas|I used to speak, you used to speak}} and {{comía, comías|I used to eat, you used to eat}}
- Only three irregulars: {{era, iba, veía|I was, I used to go, I used to see}}
- The -ía endings always keep the accent.
Preterite: the action: Completed events: {{ayer fui al cine|yesterday I went to the cinema}}. A sequence: {{llegué y saludé|I arrived and said hello}}. Something sudden: {{de repente sonó|suddenly it rang}}.
Imperfect: the scene: Habits: {{siempre comíamos juntos|we always used to eat together}}. Description: {{la casa era grande|the house was big}}. Age and weather: {{tenía ocho años, hacía frío|I was eight, it was cold}}.
Present perfect
- Haber + past participle (-ado, -ido): {{he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han|I have, you have, he/she has, we have, you have, they have}}
- For the recent past linked to now ({{hoy he comido|today I have eaten}}), with ya and todavía no, and for life experience ({{¿Has estado alguna vez…?|Have you ever been…?}})
- Irregular participles: {{hecho, dicho, visto, escrito, vuelto, puesto, abierto|done, said, seen, written, returned, put, opened}}
- The participle never changes: he comido, not «he comida».
In a story, the imperfect paints the background and the preterite moves the action on.
«Cuando ___ niño, vivía en Lima.» Which form of ser? «Era»: childhood is background, so imperfect.
«Ayer ___ al cine.» Which form of ir? «Fui»: one completed event.
What is the participle of «escribir»? «Escrito», not «escribido».
«Hablo» or «habló» for yesterday? «Habló», with the accent: the preterite.
Which tense for «I have never been to Spain»? The present perfect, because it is life experience: «Nunca he estado en España».