Spanish Past Tense: Preterite vs Imperfect (A Simple Story Framework)

If you’ve ever learned Spanish past tense and thought “Why are there two past tenses?” you’re asking the right question. English often uses one form (“I went / I was / I ate”), but Spanish asks you to choose how you frame the past.

Here’s the key:

Preterite = the event (what happened)
Imperfect = the scene (what was going on)

Once you see it this way, the choice becomes much less scary. In this guide you’ll learn:

A story framework you can apply instantly
The most common “trigger phrases” (without over‑memorizing)
Examples you’ll actually say in real life
Quick practice so you build speed and confidence

The story framework: “events” vs “background”

Imagine a movie.

Imperfect = the background / ongoing scene

Use the imperfect for:

Ongoing actions (“was doing”)
Descriptions (weather, feelings, setting)
Habitual actions (“used to” / “would”)
Age and time (“It was 8 o’clock… I was 10…”)

Examples:

Hacía frío. (It was cold.)
Eran las ocho. (It was eight o’clock.)
Yo estudiaba español todos los días. (I used to study Spanish every day.)

Preterite = the event / completed action

Use the preterite for:

A completed action (“did it, finished it”)
A single event that moved the story forward
A “start/stop” moment in time

Examples:

Llegué a casa. (I arrived home.)
Compré pan. (I bought bread.)
De repente, sonó el teléfono. (Suddenly, the phone rang.)

Think: imperfect paints, preterite points.

The fastest rule of thumb

Ask yourself:

Am I describing the scene or a habit? → imperfect
Am I reporting a completed event? → preterite

Try it:

I was studying when you called. → Yo estudiaba cuando tú ___. (called)

The interruption is a completed event

A classic example (this is the whole concept)

Spanish loves this structure:

Imperfect for what was happening
Preterite for what interrupted or changed the situation

Example:

Yo estudiaba cuando llegaste.
(I was studying when you arrived.)

Another:

Dormíamos y de repente sonó la alarma.
(We were sleeping and suddenly the alarm rang.)

Common “imperfect” categories (the ones that matter)

1) Ongoing actions (“was doing”)

Leía (I was reading)
Trabajaba (I was working)

2) Descriptions (weather, feelings, setting)

Estaba cansado. (I was tired.)
La casa era grande. (The house was big.)
Hacía calor. (It was hot.)

3) Habits (“used to”)

Antes, iba al gimnasio. (Before, I used to go to the gym.)
Siempre comíamos juntos. (We always ate together.)

When I was a child, I used to play outside. → Cuando era niño, yo ___ afuera.

Common “preterite” categories (the ones you’ll say daily)

1) Completed actions in sequence

Storyline events often come as a chain:

Me levanté, desayuné y salí.
(I got up, had breakfast, and left.)

2) A specific moment / “one time”

Ayer comí pizza. (Yesterday I ate pizza.)
La semana pasada fui a Madrid. (Last week I went to Madrid.)

3) A change of state (“it became…”)

De pronto, tuve miedo. (Suddenly, I got scared.)
Empezó a llover. (It started to rain.)

Yesterday I went to the store. → Ayer ___ a la tienda.

️ The confusing pair: era vs fue (ser)

Both translate to “was,” but the story framework still works:

era (imperfect) = background description
Era una buena idea. (It was a good idea. / describing)
fue (preterite) = completed evaluation or event
Fue increíble. (It was incredible. / a completed experience)

You’ll see this a lot in reviews and stories.

If you’re also learning ser vs estar, that guide pairs perfectly with this one:

Ser vs Estar: A Simple Mental Model That Actually Works

“Trigger words” (useful, but don’t rely on them blindly)

You’ll often see lists like:

Imperfect: siempre, a menudo, todos los días, mientras, de niño…
Preterite: ayer, anoche, el lunes, una vez, de repente…

They help because they suggest “habit/background” (imperfect) or “specific event” (preterite). But context still wins.

Example:

Siempre fui tímido. can be correct if you’re talking about your whole life as a completed “summary.”
Ayer estaba cansado. is normal if you’re describing your state yesterday (background), not a single “became tired” moment.

So use trigger words as a hint—not a rule.

A short story that shows both tenses (read this twice)

Ayer hacía calor y yo estaba cansado. Caminaba a casa cuando de repente empezó a llover. Busqué un café, entré y pedí un té. Mientras esperaba, una amiga llegó y hablamos un rato.

What’s happening?

Imperfect (hacía, estaba, caminaba, esperaba) = the scene and ongoing actions
Preterite (empezó, busqué, entré, pedí, llegó, hablamos) = the events that move the plot

This is the pattern you’ll hear in real Spanish stories.

Mini drills (get fast)

Drill 1: Scene or event?

Choose preterite or imperfect:

Ayer (tener) ___ tiempo. (Yesterday I had time.)
Cuando (vivir) en España, (trabajar) mucho. (When I lived in Spain, I worked a lot.)
Yo (hacer) la cena cuando (llegar) mi amiga. (I was making dinner when my friend arrived.)

Drill 2: Say it out loud (five times)

Yo estudiaba cuando me llamaste.
Hacía frío y empezó a llover.
Antes jugaba mucho, pero ayer jugué poco.

It was raining when we arrived. → Llovía cuando ___. (we arrived)

Ongoing background + completed arrival

When I lived there, I used to cook every day. → Cuando vivía allí, ___ todos los días.

Practice it in context (the easiest way)

Past tense gets easier when you practice vocabulary in sentences. That’s exactly what LingoBingo does: you learn words through context and build patterns naturally.

Play a quick Spanish round

And if you want a “vocabulary multiplier” while you study grammar:

Summary (the one‑minute version)

Imperfect = background, ongoing, “used to,” descriptions
Preterite = completed event, sequence, interruption, change
In stories: imperfect sets the scene, preterite moves the plot

Once you internalize that, Spanish past tense stops being a memorization game and becomes a storytelling choice.

Quick FAQ

Do time words like ayer always mean preterite?

They strongly push you toward preterite because they frame a completed time block, but the verb choice still depends on meaning:

Ayer llovió. (It rained — event)
Ayer hacía frío. (It was cold — background description)

Why is age often imperfect?

Age is usually a background description in stories:

Cuando tenía 10 años… (When I was 10…)

Is there a “safe default”?

For storytelling: use imperfect to describe the scene/habits, and switch to preterite for the action that advances the story.