Use of the Past Indefinite in Spanish: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

The past indefinite tense in Spanish, also known as the preterite tense ("pretérito indefinido" in Spanish), is one of the key tenses used to talk about actions that were completed in the past. Whether you're a beginner learning the basics or an intermediate student brushing up on your grammar, understanding the past indefinite tense is crucial for communicating in Spanish.

In this guide, we'll walk through everything you need to know about the past indefinite tense—how it's used, how to conjugate regular and irregular verbs, and tips for mastering it in everyday conversations.

What is the Past Indefinite Tense in Spanish?

The past indefinite tense is used to describe actions that took place and were completed at a specific point in the past. Unlike other past tenses in Spanish, like the imperfect, which describes ongoing or habitual actions in the past, the preterite focuses on specific events that have a clear beginning and end.

When to Use the Past Indefinite Tense

The past indefinite is used to:

Talk about actions that were completed in the past.

Example: "Ayer comí pizza" (Yesterday, I ate pizza).

Refer to specific points in time.

Example: "El año pasado viajé a México" (Last year, I traveled to Mexico).

Describe sequences of events.

Example: "Entré, vi la película y salí" (I entered, watched the movie, and left).

Discuss actions with a clear start and finish.

Example: "Ella vivió en España por cinco años" (She lived in Spain for five years).

How to Conjugate Verbs in the Past Indefinite Tense

To form the past indefinite tense, you'll need to conjugate verbs according to their endings. In Spanish, verbs are divided into three main groups based on their infinitive endings: -ar, -er, and -ir.

Conjugation of Regular Verbs

Let's start by breaking down the conjugation of regular verbs in the past indefinite tense.

1. Regular -AR Verbs

For -AR verbs, the past indefinite endings are:

Example with the verb "hablar" (to talk):

• Yo hablé (I talked)
• Tú hablaste (You talked)
• Él/Ella habló (He/She talked)
• Nosotros hablamos (We talked)
• Vosotros hablasteis (You all talked)
• Ellos/Ellas hablaron (They talked)

2. Regular -ER Verbs

For -ER verbs, the endings are:

Example with the verb "comer" (to eat):

• Yo comí (I ate)
• Tú comiste (You ate)
• Él/Ella comió (He/She ate)
• Nosotros comimos (We ate)
• Vosotros comisteis (You all ate)
• Ellos/Ellas comieron (They ate)

3. Regular -IR Verbs

-IR verbs share the same endings as -ER verbs in the past indefinite tense:

Example with the verb "vivir" (to live):

• Yo viví (I lived)
• Tú viviste (You lived)
• Él/Ella vivió (He/She lived)
• Nosotros vivimos (We lived)
• Vosotros vivisteis (You all lived)
• Ellos/Ellas vivieron (They lived)

Irregular Verbs in the Past Indefinite Tense

While regular verbs follow predictable patterns, irregular verbs in the past indefinite tense don’t always follow the same rules. Many of these irregular verbs have stem changes or entirely different conjugations. Let’s look at some of the most common ones.

Common Irregular Verbs and Their Conjugations

1. Ser (to be) and Ir (to go)

These two verbs share the exact same conjugation in the preterite tense:

• Yo fui (I was/went)
• Tú fuiste (You were/went)
• Él/Ella fue (He/She was/went)
• Nosotros fuimos (We were/went)
• Vosotros fuisteis (You all were/went)
• Ellos/Ellas fueron (They were/went)

2. Tener (to have)

The verb "tener" undergoes a stem change to tuv-.

• Yo tuve (I had)
• Tú tuviste (You had)
• Él/Ella tuvo (He/She had)
• Nosotros tuvimos (We had)
• Vosotros tuvisteis (You all had)
• Ellos/Ellas tuvieron (They had)

3. Hacer (to do, to make)

"Hacer" is irregular in the past tense, with a stem change to hic- and a spelling change in the third person singular.

• Yo hice (I did/made)
• Tú hiciste (You did/made)
• Él/Ella hizo (He/She did/made)
• Nosotros hicimos (We did/made)
• Vosotros hicisteis (You all did/made)
• Ellos/Ellas hicieron (They did/made)

4. Decir (to say, to tell)

"Decir" changes its stem to dij- and follows a different conjugation pattern.

• Yo dije (I said)
• Tú dijiste (You said)
• Él/Ella dijo (He/She said)
• Nosotros dijimos (We said)
• Vosotros dijisteis (You all said)
• Ellos/Ellas dijeron (They said)

Other Irregular Verbs to Know:

• Estar (to be): Yo estuve, Tú estuviste, Él/Ella estuvo, Nosotros estuvimos, Vosotros estuvisteis, Ellos/Ellas estuvieron
• Poder (to be able to): Yo pude, Tú pudiste, Él/Ella pudo, Nosotros pudimos, Vosotros pudisteis, Ellos/Ellas pudieron
• Venir (to come): Yo vine, Tú viniste, Él/Ella vino, Nosotros vinimos, Vosotros vinisteis, Ellos/Ellas vinieron

Key Differences Between Past Indefinite and Other Past Tenses

In Spanish, several past tenses are used to talk about the past. It's important to distinguish the past indefinite tense from other past tenses like the imperfect tense and the present perfect tense. Let’s explore how they differ.

Past Indefinite vs. Imperfect Tense

Past Indefinite (Pretérito Indefinido): Describes actions that are completed and often linked to a specific moment in time.

Example: "Ayer vi a mi amigo" (Yesterday, I saw my friend).

Imperfect (Pretérito Imperfecto): Describes ongoing or habitual actions in the past, without a specific start or end.

Example: "Cuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol todos los días" (When I was a child, I used to play soccer every day).

Past Indefinite vs. Present Perfect Tense

Past Indefinite (Pretérito Indefinido): Focuses on actions that are completely finished and detached from the present moment.

Example: "El lunes pasado comí paella" (Last Monday, I ate paella).

Present Perfect (Pretérito Perfecto): Describes actions that happened in the past but are still relevant or connected to the present.

Example: "Este mes he leído tres libros" (This month, I have read three books).

Time Expressions Commonly Used with the Past Indefinite

Certain time expressions are frequently used alongside the past indefinite tense to indicate when an action took place. These expressions help anchor the action to a specific point in the past.

Some common time expressions include:

• Ayer (yesterday)
• Anteayer (the day before yesterday)
• El año pasado (last year)
• La semana pasada (last week)
• Hace dos días (two days ago)
• En 1990 (in 1990)

Spanish Quiz: Mastering the Past Indefinite Tense in Spanish

Multiple Choice (Choose the correct conjugation for each verb)

What is the correct past indefinite conjugation for the verb "hablar" (to talk) in the "yo" form?

a) Hablé

b) Hablaba

c) Hablo

d) Hable

What is the correct conjugation of "vivir" (to live) for "nosotros" in the past indefinite tense?

a) Vivieron

b) Vivimos

c) Vivíamos

d) Viviremos

Which is the correct conjugation of "comer" (to eat) for "ella" in the past indefinite tense?

a) Comió

b) Comiómos

c) Comiste

d) Comía

How do you conjugate the verb "hacer" (to do/make) for "yo" in the past indefinite?

a) Hacía

b) Hago

c) Hice

d) Hizo

What is the correct past indefinite conjugation for "ser" (to be) in the "ellos" form?

a) Fui

b) Fueron

c) Era

d) Son

Fill in the Blanks (Use the correct form of the verb in the past indefinite tense)

Ayer, nosotros _______ (comer) en un restaurante nuevo.

El año pasado, ella _______ (viajar) a España.

La semana pasada, mis amigos _______ (jugar) al fútbol.

El martes, yo _______ (hacer) mi tarea por la tarde.

Tú _______ (ver) la película anoche, ¿verdad?

Sentence Transformation (Change the sentences from the present tense to the past indefinite)

Ellos viven en Madrid.

(Change to past indefinite tense)

Yo corro en el parque todos los días.

(Change to past indefinite tense)

Nosotros hablamos con el profesor.

(Change to past indefinite tense)

Tú haces la comida cada domingo.

(Change to past indefinite tense)

Mis padres salen a cenar los viernes.

(Change to past indefinite tense)

Time Expressions and Verb Conjugation (Match the time expression with the correct conjugated verb)

Hace dos días -

a) Viajé

b) Viajaba

c) Viajo

El año pasado -

a) Viviste

b) Vivías

c) Viví

La semana pasada -

a) Comieron

b) Comerán

c) Comían

Ayer -

a) Jugamos

b) Jugaremos

c) Jugábamos

Anteayer -

a) Estudió

b) Estudiaba

c) Estudia

Answers Section:

Multiple Choice:

1. a) Hablé
2. b) Vivimos
3. a) Comió
4. c) Hice
5. b) Fueron

Fill in the Blanks:

1. comimos
2. viajó
3. jugaron
4. hice
5. viste

Sentence Transformation:

1. Ellos vivieron en Madrid.
2. Yo corrí en el parque todos los días.
3. Nosotros hablamos con el profesor.
4. Tú hiciste la comida cada domingo.
5. Mis padres salieron a cenar los viernes.

Time Expressions and Verb Conjugation:

1. a) Viajé
2. c) Viví
3. a) Comieron
4. a) Jugamos
5. a) Estudió

The past indefinite tense in Spanish is essential for talking about specific, completed actions in the past. Mastering its conjugations and understanding when to use it will significantly improve your Spanish communication skills. Whether you're talking about what you did yesterday or sharing stories from your last vacation, this tense will allow you to express yourself clearly and effectively.

Keep practicing, use time expressions, and immerse yourself in the language as much as possible to reinforce your understanding. Happy learning!