In Spanish, we have two special ways to talk about things that happened in the past. These are called the preterite tense and the imperfect tense. Each one is used for different purposes.

Preterite Tense

• What It Means: We use this tense for actions that are complete, specific events, or things that happened at a specific time.
• Helpful Words: Look for words like ayer (yesterday), el año pasado (last year), and una vez (once).
• Example: Ayer fui al cine.
  (Yesterday, I went to the movies.)

Imperfect Tense

• What It Means: This tense describes actions that were happening over time, things people did regularly, or the background of a situation in the past.
• Helpful Words: You can use words like siempre (always), a menudo (often), and mientras (while).
• Example: Cuando era niño, iba al parque siempre.
  (When I was a child, I always went to the park.)

Quick Recap

• Use the preterite tense for actions that are finished and specific events.
• Use the imperfect tense for actions that were ongoing or things that happened regularly.