Preterite

The preterite is a past tense used to express actions that are completed at a specific point in the past. It is commonly described as the simple past in many languages and is contrasted with the imperfect, which covers ongoing, habitual, or background past actions.

In Spanish, the preterite marks punctual, completed events or a sequence of past events. Regular verbs form the preterite with distinct endings: for -ar verbs, é, aste, ó, amos, asteis,aron; for -er and -ir verbs, í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron. Irregulars and some stem-changing verbs add additional forms (for example, ser/ir: fui, fuiste, fue; hacer: hice, hiciste, hizo). The preterite is typically used with time expressions such as ayer, anteayer, la semana pasada, el año pasado, una vez, entonces.

Other languages have a preterite with similar functions. In French, the passé simple; in Portuguese, o pretérito perfeito simples. In English, the simple past often serves the same purpose, though terms may differ. The preterite is distinct from the present perfect in that it situates the action at a definite past moment and does not inherently relate to the present.

Usage considerations include narrative progression, actions that advance the storyline, and events completed at a definite time. Some verbs may be used differently in various dialects or contexts, and regional variation can influence preference for preterite versus other past tenses.

Examples: “A ayer estudié dos horas.” “Ella llegó, comió, y se fue.” These illustrate completed past actions and a sequence of events.