Grammar guide The rule
Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each in Spanish
Spanish splits the past in two. The preterite tells what happened; the imperfect sets the scene and describes what used to happen.
How to choose
Ask whether this is a completed event or the background to one.
- Preterite
- Completed events A single action, or a sequence of actions, with a clear end. Ayer comí en un restaurante nuevo.
- Imperfect
- Background, habits, descriptions What used to happen, what was going on, and time, age and feelings in the past. Cuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol todos los días.
- Both together
- Scene and interruption The imperfect describes what was going on; the preterite interrupts it. Leía cuando sonó el teléfono.
- Today, this week
- Present perfect in Spain In Spain, a period that is not over yet usually takes the present perfect. Hoy he ido al médico. (Spain) · Hoy fui al médico. (Latin America)
Typical mistakes on this topic
- Preterite vs imperfect: imperfect for a single event Ayer comía en un restaurante nuevo. Ayer comí en un restaurante nuevo.
- Preterite vs imperfect: preterite for the background Cuando era niño, jugué al fútbol todos los días. Cuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol todos los días.
- Present perfect versus preterite Hoy fui al médico por la mañana. Hoy he ido al médico por la mañana.
What YabLab does with this mistake
- Catches it right as you write — comments, email, docs.
- Explains the why in your language, not just the fix.
- Helps you practice it until it is gone for good.
Grammar topics explained
- Ser vs estar: when to use each in Spanish
- Por vs para: how to choose in Spanish
- Spanish subjunctive: when to use it
- Spanish direct object pronouns (lo, la, los, las)
- Spanish accent marks: when to write them
- Saber vs conocer: which “to know” to use
- Stem-changing verbs in Spanish (e→ie, o→ue, e→i)
- Irregular preterite verbs in Spanish