When to use it
- Completed actions in the past
- Events at a stated time
- A sequence of finished actions
- Actions with a clear beginning or end
Pretérito indefinido
Spanish Preterite Tense
Use the Spanish preterite for completed past actions and events viewed as having a clear beginning or end.
How to form it
Remove the infinitive ending and add the preterite endings. Regular -er and -ir verbs share the same endings in this tense.
Spanish Preterite Tense examples
Hablé con Ana ayer.
I spoke with Ana yesterday.
Comimos en casa.
We ate at home.
Vivieron allí dos años.
They lived there for two years.
Regular spanish preterite tense conjugations
Compare a model -ar, -er, and -ir verb. The bold portion is the complete conjugated form.