Using the preterite tense in Spanish for completed actions in the past

El Pretérito Indefinido for completed actions

We use El Pretérito Indefinido for completed actions in the past.

It can refer to a single action or actions that happened more than once.

Nosotros nos mudamos a Londres en 2012.We moved to London in 2012.

The example above shows a single action that takes place in the past.

El verano pasado fuimos a la playa todos los sábados.Last summer we went to the beach every Saturday.

The example above shows an action that took place several times in the past.

But in both examples the actions are completed. They are no longer taking place. 

There are some time phrases that will generally trigger the use of El Pretérito Indefinido

Here are some:

  • El año pasado
  • El otro día
  • Ayer
  • Anoche
  • El mes pasado
  • Hace 3 días
  • El verano pasado
Read and listen to these other examples:

Ayer fui al cine con Daniel.Yesterday I went to the cinema with Daniel.

El año pasado Laura dio juguetes a los niños pobres.Last year Laura gave toys to poor children.

El mes pasado los artistas cantaron en Barcelona.Last month the artists sang in Barcelona.

Ustedes llegaron hace dos días.You arrived two days ago.

See also El Pretérito Indefinido

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Learn more about these related Spanish grammar topics

Examples and resources

Charlamos con los padres de los estudiantes de 5 a 7.We chatted with the student's parent from 5 till 7.
A las 3 en punto sonó el teléfono.At 3 o'clock the phone rang.
Ustedes llegaron hace dos días.You arrived two days ago.
Ayer fui al cine con Daniel.Yesterday I went to the cinema with Daniel.
El año pasado Laura dio juguetes a los niños pobres.Last year Laura gave toys to poor children.
Nosotros nos mudamos a Londres en 2012.We moved to London in 2012.
El mes pasado los artistas cantaron en Barcelona.Last month the artists sang in Barcelona.
El verano pasado fuimos a la playa todos los sábados.Last summer we went to the beach every Saturday.
Ayer vi a Daniela en el instituto.Yesterday I saw Daniela at the school.
El otro día me llamó mi abuela tres veces.The other day my grandma called me three times.
Me casé en el 2017 y mi hija nació en el 2019.I got married in 2017 and my daughter was born in 2019.
El verano pasado alquilamos una apartamento en la playa.Last summer we rented an apartment at the beach.
El sábado pasado fuimos al restaurante chino nuevo.Last Saturday we went to the new Chinese restaurant.
Using the preterite tense in Spanish for completed actions in the past
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Q&A Forum 3 questions, 3 answers

Lucio F.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

This one needs fixed. i selected -aron - i wouldn't select imperfect for "completed in the past"


El ano pasado ustedes _______ los examenes

it said i selected aprobaban but I selected aprobaron - so there is some problem with the question/answer key.


Asked 10 months ago
SilviaKwiziq Native Spanish TeacherCorrect answer

Hola Lucio

Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. It seems there might be a technical error in the question/answer processing. I've transferred your query to our technical team for further investigation and resolution. They will look into why the system incorrectly recorded your answer.

We appreciate your patience and understanding while we work to fix this issue. Your feedback is valuable in helping us maintain the quality and accuracy of our learning tools.

If you have any more details or additional queries, please feel free to share them. We're here to ensure you have the best learning experience possible.

Saludos

Silvia

Lucio F. asked:

This one needs fixed. i selected -aron - i wouldn't select imperfect for "completed in the past"


El ano pasado ustedes _______ los examenes

it said i selected aprobaban but I selected aprobaron - so there is some problem with the question/answer key.


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Colin H.A2Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

El otro día me llamó mi abuela tres veces

Hola,

Would the sentence above still make sense in Spanish if it were reordered thus:

El otro día mi abuela me llamó tres veces.

Saludos,

Colin

Asked 2 years ago
InmaKwiziq Head of Spanish, Native Spanish TeacherCorrect answer

Hola Colin

Yes, you can play with the order a bit. That would also be correct. Spanish is quite flexible in terms of order. We have an article here talking about that. Have a look.

Saludos

Inma

Colin H. asked:

El otro día me llamó mi abuela tres veces

Hola,

Would the sentence above still make sense in Spanish if it were reordered thus:

El otro día mi abuela me llamó tres veces.

Saludos,

Colin

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Wyq R.B2Kwiziq community member

Hace cinco años tú ________ en Italia.

It seems to me that "vivías" should also be a correct answer here...
Asked 6 years ago
InmaKwiziq Head of Spanish, Native Spanish Teacher

Hola Wyq

You are right. Vivías could also be correct here if you consider it an ongoing action. We will add a hint so it is clear we refer to a completed action in the past, to avoid confusion.

Gracias

Inma

Wyq R. asked:

Hace cinco años tú ________ en Italia.

It seems to me that "vivías" should also be a correct answer here...

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