B1Spanish · Grammar

Pretérito Indefinido vs Pretérito Imperfecto

A lesson from the B1 course: the rule, examples and a 20-sentence test.

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Lesson

Mastering the Past: Indefinido vs. Imperfecto

When telling stories in Spanish, you need to choose between two past tenses. Choosing the right one depends on whether you are talking about a completed action or a background description.

  • El Pretérito Indefinido is used for completed actions, specific events, and sudden interruptions.
  • El Pretérito Imperfecto is used for habitual actions, ongoing background states, descriptions, time, and age.
Memory trick: Think of the Imperfecto as a movie camera filming the background scene, while the Indefinido is a flash of lightning that captures a single, sudden event happening right over it!

Key Trigger Words

Certain time expressions often signal which tense you should use.

Indefinido (Completed)Imperfecto (Ongoing / Habitual)
ayer (yesterday)siempre (always)
anoche (last night)todos los días (every day)
de repente (suddenly)generalmente (usually)

Examples in Action

Yo veía la televisión cuando llegó mi amigo.

I was watching television when my friend arrived.

Watch out! When an action interrupts an ongoing background state, the background uses the Imperfecto and the interrupting action uses the Indefinido.

Test yourself

20 questions. Answer them all, then check — you'll see what you got right and what to fix.

  1. 1

    Complete the sentence

    Yo un periódico cuando sonó el timbre.

    I was reading a newspaper when the doorbell rang.

  2. 2

    Complete the sentence

    Yo tarde a la estación porque perdí el autobús.

    I arrived late at the station because I missed the bus.

  3. 3

    Complete the sentence

    Ella me la verdad sobre el problema.

    She told me the truth about the problem.

  4. 4

    Complete the sentence

    Tú una chaqueta nueva en las rebajas.

    You bought a new jacket in the sales.

  5. 5

    Complete the sentence

    Nosotros la respuesta correcta para el examen.

    We knew the correct answer for the exam.

  6. 6

    Complete the sentence

    De joven, ella el pelo muy largo.

    When she was young, she had very long hair.

  7. 7

    Complete the sentence

    Usted comprar una casa cerca de la playa.

    You wanted to buy a house near the beach.

  8. 8

    Complete the sentence

    Anoche a las ocho mientras mi hermano jugaba.

    Last night at eight I was studying while my brother was playing.

  9. 9

    Type the missing word

    El año pasado de vacaciones a Madrid.

    Last year we went on holiday to Madrid.

  10. 10

    Type the missing word

    Vosotros una película interesante en el cine.

    You saw an interesting film at the cinema.

  11. 11

    Type the missing word

    La clase a las nueve en punto de la mañana.

    The class began at nine o'clock in the morning.

  12. 12

    Type the missing word

    con tus amigos el sábado por la noche.

    You went out with your friends on Saturday night.

  13. 13

    Type the missing word

    Ayer una paella muy buena en el restaurante.

    Yesterday I ate a very good paella in the restaurant.

  14. 14

    Type the missing word

    Ella leía un libro cuando su madre por teléfono.

    She was reading a book when her mother called on the phone.

  15. 15

    Put the sentence together — some words are extra

    We made a chocolate cake for her birthday.

  16. 16

    Put the sentence together — some words are extra

    The house was white and had a large garden.

  17. 17

    Put the sentence together — some words are extra

    When I was little, I lived in a small village.

  18. 18

    Put the sentence together — some words are extra

    My parents gave me a very nice present.

  19. 19

    Build the missing word from the letters

    De niños, al fútbol en la calle cada tarde.

    As children, we played football in the street every afternoon.

  20. 20

    Match each word to its meaning

Printable test

The full test as a PDF with an answer key — print it for yourself or for a class.

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Practise this set in the app

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