En español, los pasados se dividen en tres tiempos: el pretérito imperfecto, el pretérito indefinido y el pretérito perfecto, utilizados para expresar acciones pasadas con diferentes detalles.

(In Spanish, past tenses are divided into three tenses: the pretérito imperfecto, the pretérito indefinido and the pretérito perfecto, used to express past actions with different levels of detail.)

When do I use each past tense?

  • Prete9rito imperfecto = background, habits, descriptions in the past.
    • What was happening?
    • What was it like?
    • What did I usually do?
    • Example: Cuando era joven, el presidente gobernaba con su ministro.
  • Prete9rito indefinido = completed events at a finished time.
    • What happened once (or a specific number of times)?
    • When the time is clearly finished: ayer, en 2010, el lunes pasado.
    • Example: En 2010, la princesa visitf3 el parlamento.
  • Prete9rito perfecto = past + connection with now.
    • What has happened recently or in a time period that includes now?
    • With time markers like hoy, esta semana, este mes, este af1o, faltimamente.
    • Example: Esta semana he votado en las elecciones del gobierno.

Step 1: Look at the time expression first

Often the time expression tells you which tense is natural.

Time expression Typical tense Example
ayer, anoche, el lunes pasado, en 2010, hace dos af1os Indefinido Ayer vote9 en las elecciones.
hoy, esta maf1ana, esta semana, este mes, este af1o, faltimamente Perfecto Hoy he hablado con la ministra.
cuando era nif1o, antes, en esa e9poca, todos los dedas, siempre Imperfecto En esa e9poca trabajaba en un ministerio.
  • Ask yourself: Is the time finished?
    • Finished (en 2010, ayer) → usually indefinido.
    • Not finished / includes now (esta semana, hoy) → usually perfecto.

Step 2: Is it background or a specific event?

If there is no clear time expression, look at the type of action.

  • Use imperfecto for background and habits:
    • Longer situations, context, routine, descriptions.
    • Examples:
      • El gobierno era muy popular.
      • Durante esos af1os, los ciudadanos protestaban mucho.
  • Use indefinido for specific completed events:
    • One-time actions, steps in a story, things you can put in a timeline.
    • Examples:
      • El gobierno cambif3 la ley en 2019.
      • La ministra renuncif3 y el presidente nombrf3 a otra persona.

Step 3: Imperfecto + indefinido in the same sentence

These two often appear together in stories.

  • Imperfecto = what was happening / the background.
  • Indefinido = the new event that interrupts or advances the story.
Function Tense Example
Background Imperfecto El presidente hablaba con los periodistas...
New event Indefinido ...cuando un manifestante entrf3 en la sala.

Visual image:

  • Imperfecto = a long film in the background.
  • Indefinido = a photo of an important moment in that film.

Pretérito perfecto vs indefinido: Spanish vs English

For English speakers this contrast is key.

  • English have + past participle (I have voted) looks like Spanish he votado, but Spanish usage is more about the time period.
    • Perfecto: time period includes now.
      • Esta semana he votado.
      • Hoy he leeddo las noticias.
    • Indefinido: time period is clearly finished.
      • La semana pasada vote9.
      • En 2010 trabaje9 en el parlamento.

Self-check:

  • Can you say the time is over (last week, last year, in 2010)? → choose indefinido.
  • Does the time phrase include now (today, this week, lately)? → choose perfecto.

Very small formation reminder (regular verbs)

You will see the full conjugation tables elsewhere in the book. Here is a quick visual reminder with yo and él/ella.

Tense -ar (gobernar) -er (comer) -ir (vivir)
Imperfecto
(background / habit)		 yo gobernaba
e9l gobernaba		 yo comeda
e9l comeda		 yo viveda
e9l viveda
Indefinido
(completed event)		 yo goberne9
e9l gobernf3		 yo comed
e9l comif3		 yo vived
e9l vivif3
Perfecto
(have + past participle)		 he gobernado he comido he vivido
  • Perfecto = present of haber (he, has, ha, hemos, habe9is, han) + participle (-ado, -ido).

Typical learner mistakes and how to avoid them

  • Confusing "fui" and "era" (ser).
    • era joven → a general state in the past.
    • fui joven sounds like a short event, not natural in most contexts.
    • Think: Use era for long descriptions of what someone or something was like.
  • Using perfecto with finished times.
    • En 2010 la princesa ha visitado el parlamento.
    • Correct: En 2010 la princesa visitf3 el parlamento.
    • Rule: with en 2010, en 1999, el af1o pasado → use indefinido, not perfecto.
  • Using imperfecto with a clear one-time past action.
    • La semana pasada votaba en las elecciones.
    • Correct: La semana pasada vote9 en las elecciones.
    • Ask: is this a single, finished action in a defined time? → choose indefinido.

Quick decision guide (self-check)

  1. Look at the time expression.
    • If it is today / this week / this year / lately → probably perfecto.
    • If it is yesterday / last week / in 2010 → probably indefinido.
    • If it is when I was young / in those years / always / every day → probably imperfecto.
  2. If there is no time expression, ask about the type of action.
    • Background, description, habit → imperfecto.
    • Event that advances the story → indefinido.
    • Recent result important now → perfecto.
  3. Combine tenses to tell a richer story.
    • Use imperfecto for context.
    • Use indefinido for key events.
    • Use perfecto to connect with today.

What you should be able to do now

  • Choose between imperfecto, indefinido and perfecto by looking at the time expression.
  • Recognise if a past action is background / habit (imperfecto) or a completed event (indefinido).
  • Use perfecto to talk about recent actions and experiences that matter now.
  • Tell a short story mixing background (imperfecto) and events (indefinido).

If you can do these points, you are ready to practise in conversation.

Tiempo verbal (Verb tense)Regla (Rule)Ejemplo (Example)
Pretérito imperfectoAcciones en progreso o habituales en el pasado (Actions in progress or habitual in the past)Cuando era joven, el presidente gobernaba con su ministro. (When he was young, the president governed with his minister.)
Pretérito indefinidoAcciones completadas en el pasado (Completed actions in the past)En 2010, la princesa visitó el parlamento. (In 2010, the princess visited the parliament.)
Pretérito perfectoAcciones pasadas que afectan el presente (Past actions that affect the present)Esta semana, he votado en las elecciones del gobierno. (This week, I have voted in the government elections.)

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

1. Esta semana el presidente ___ el parlamento y ha hablado sobre las próximas elecciones.

This week the president ___ the parliament and spoke about the upcoming elections.)

2. En 2010 el gobierno ___ una nueva ley sobre los partidos políticos.

In 2010 the government ___ a new law on political parties.)

3. Cuando ___ joven, el juez ___ en un pequeño tribunal de una ciudad de Galicia.

When ___ young, the judge ___ at a small court in a city in Galicia.)

4. Ayer el primer ministro ___ en la televisión, pero hoy los ciudadanos ya ___ su discurso.

Yesterday the prime minister ___ on television, but today citizens have already ___ his speech.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct sentence that properly uses one of the past tenses in Spanish (pretérito imperfecto, pretérito indefinido, pretérito perfecto), considering the context and the meaning of the past action.

1.
Error: 'fui joven' indicates a specific, punctual action, not a habitual one. Here, the pretérito imperfecto should be used to describe a habitual state.
Error: the pretérito indefinido expresses a punctual and completed action, but the sentence intends to indicate a habitual state in the past.
2.
Error: the pretérito imperfecto is not used for punctual actions in a defined past time like 'last week.'
Although grammatically correct, to emphasize a recent action it's more common to use the pretérito perfecto with unfinished time expressions, such as 'this week.'

Exercise 3: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite the sentences by changing the underlined verb to the past tense indicated in parentheses (imperfect, simple past or present perfect). Keep the same temporal meaning when possible.

Show/Hide translation Show/Hide hints
  1. Todos los días el presidente trabaja con su equipo. (pretérito imperfecto)
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    Todos los días el presidente trabajaba con su equipo.
    (Todos los días el presidente trabajaba con su equipo.)
  2. Esta semana pago los impuestos en la oficina de Hacienda. (pretérito perfecto)
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    Esta semana he pagado los impuestos en la oficina de Hacienda.
    (Esta semana he pagado los impuestos en la oficina de Hacienda.)
  3. Ayer la ministra habla con los periodistas en el parlamento. (pretérito indefinido)
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    Ayer la ministra habló con los periodistas en el parlamento.
    (Ayer la ministra habló con los periodistas en el parlamento.)
  4. Cuando era estudiante, yo voy a muchas manifestaciones. (pretérito imperfecto)
    ⇒ _______________________________________________ Example
    Cuando era estudiante, yo iba a muchas manifestaciones.
    (Cuando era estudiante, yo iba a muchas manifestaciones.)

Exercise 4: Grammar in action

Instruction: Describe previous elections and tell about your experience voting.

Show/Hide translation
Situation
En un café, hablas con un colega sobre elecciones y el gobierno pasado.
(At a café, you’re talking with a colleague about elections and the previous government.)
Discuss
  • ¿Cómo eran las campañas políticas cuando vivías en tu país hace años? (What were political campaigns like when you lived in your country years ago?)
  • Cuéntame una elección importante en tu vida: ¿qué pasó exactamente? (año, partido, resultado) (Tell me about an important election in your life: what happened exactly? (year, party, result))
Useful words and phrases
  • Cuando era joven, el presidente gobernaba con su ministro. (When I was young, the president ruled together with his minister.)
  • En 2010 voté a un partido diferente. (In 2010 I voted for a different party.)
  • Últimamente he votado en elecciones locales y nacionales. (Lately I have voted in both local and national elections.)
Use in conversation
  • pretérito imperfecto (imperfect past (pretérito imperfecto))
  • pretérito indefinido (simple past (pretérito indefinido))
  • pretérito perfecto (present perfect (pretérito perfecto))

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