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Preterite regular -ar conjugation
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Imperfect regular -ar conjugation
- aba
- abas
- aba
- ábamos
- abais
- aban
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Preterite regular -er and -ir conjugation
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In general preterite is used for actions in the past that are seen as complete.
Preterite implies the past action had a definite beginning and end.
- Juan habló dos horas.
- Juan spoke for two hours.
- (Clearly stated beginning and end)
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Preterite
It is important to realize that the beginning and end
may not always be clearly stated.
- Juan habló dos horas.
- Juan spoke for two hours
- (implied beginning and end)
- Juan habló coon la estudiante.
- Juan spoke with the student.
- (implied beginning and end)
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Imperfect
Generally, used for actioons in the past that are not seen as completed.
Imperfect use implies that past action had no definite beginning or end.
- Las chicas hablaban en inglés.
- The girls used to speak in English.
- (no definite beginning or end)
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Preterite is used for actions that can be viewed as single events.
- Ella caminó por el parque.
- She walked through the park.
- Ellos llegaron a las ocho.
- The arrived at eight o'clock.
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Preterite is used for actions that were used repeated a specific
number of times, or occurred during a specific period of time.
- Ayer escribí tres cartas.
- Yesterday I wrote three letters.
- Vivimos allí por cuaarto años.
- We lived there for four years.
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Preterite is used for action that were part of a chain of events.
- Ella se levantó, se vistió, y salió de la casa.
- She got up, dressed, and left the house.
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preterite is used to state the beginning or the end of an action.
- Empezó a nevar a las ocho de la mañana.
- It began to snow at eight in the morning.
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Imperfect is used for action that were repeated habitually.
- Almorzábamos juntos todos los días.
- We would lunch together every day.
- Las señoras siempre charlababan por las mañanas.
- The ladies would always chat in the mornings.
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Imperfect is used for action that "set the stage" for another action.
- Yo leía cuando entró mi papá.
- I was reading when my papa entered.
- (note that "entered" is preterite)
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Imperfect is used for telling time and stating one's age.
- Eran las siete de la noche.
- It was seven o'clock at night.
- La niña tenía cinco años.
- The little girl was five years old.
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Preterite ser conjugation
- fui
- fuiste
- fue
- fuimos
- fuisteis
- fueron
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Preterite ir conjugation
- fui
- fuiste
- fue
- fuimos
- fuisteis
- fueron
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Preterite dar conjugation
- di
- diste
- dio
- dimos
- disteis
- dieron
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Preterite hacer conjugation
- hice
- hiciste
- hizo
- hicimos
- hicisteis
- hicieron
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