Pretérito vs. Imperfecto
The two past tenses — and when to use each
Spanish has two simple past tenses. The preterite describes completed actions with a clear beginning and end. The imperfect describes ongoing, habitual, or background past situations.
Pretérito — completed actions
Use the preterite for an action that happened at a specific moment, a sequence of events, or something with a defined duration: 'Ayer fui al cine', 'Estudié dos horas'.
Imperfecto — background and habit
Use the imperfect for what was happening, what used to happen, or for setting the scene: 'Cuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol'. It is also used for descriptions, age, time, and weather in the past.
Together in one sentence
Often both appear together: the imperfect sets the scene, the preterite drops in the action. 'Llovía cuando salí de casa' — 'It was raining when I left the house.'
Ejemplos
"De niño, vivía en Sevilla."
As a child, I lived in Seville.
Habitual past — imperfect.
"El año pasado viví en Sevilla."
Last year I lived in Seville.
Defined duration — preterite.
"Estudiaba cuando llamaste."
I was studying when you called.
Background + interrupting action.