Spanish preterite vs imperfect

I went, I used to go, it happened…

Practice the difference between the preterite and the imperfect with real Spanish sentences and natural situations.

Learn to feel the difference between fui and iba, hice and hacía, tuve and tenía.

 

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Examples and answer key

Here are the sentences, answers and explanations from this exercise.

Show examples and answer key
1. Cuando era niño, ... mucho fútbol.
Answer: jugaba
When I was a child, I used to play a lot of football.
The imperfect is used for habits and background in the past: cuando era niño...
2. Ayer ... al supermercado.
Answer: fui
Yesterday I went to the supermarket.
The preterite is used for completed events: ayer fui...
3. Siempre ... café por la mañana.
Answer: bebía
I always used to drink coffee in the morning.
Siempre often points to the imperfect: a habit in the past.
4. Anoche ... muy tarde.
Answer: llegué
Last night I arrived home very late.
A specific completed action uses the preterite.
5. Mientras nosotros ..., sonó el teléfono.
Answer: comíamos
While we were eating, the phone rang.
An ongoing background action uses the imperfect.
6. El año pasado ... en Madrid.
Answer: viví
Last year I lived in Madrid.
A finished time period often uses the preterite.
7. Cuando yo ..., hacía mucho frío.
Answer: era
When I was little, it was very cold.
Background descriptions often use the imperfect.
8. Esta mañana ... una llamada importante.
Answer: recibí
This morning I received an important call.
A specific event uses the preterite.
9. Todos los días ... en autobús.
Answer: íbamos
Every day we used to go by bus.
A repeated habit uses the imperfect.
10. De repente, él ... la puerta.
Answer: abrió
Suddenly, he opened the door.
Sudden events often use the preterite.
11. Antes yo no ... español.
Answer: hablaba
Before, I did not speak Spanish.
A long-term state in the past uses the imperfect.
12. Ayer nosotros ... una película.
Answer: vimos
Yesterday we watched a film.
A completed activity uses the preterite.
13. Mientras ella ..., yo estudiaba.
Answer: dormía
While she was sleeping, I was studying.
An ongoing background action uses the imperfect.
14. La semana pasada ... muy enfermo.
Answer: estuve
Last week I was very sick.
A state limited to a specific period often uses the preterite.
15. Cuando vivíamos en Suecia, siempre ... nieve.
Answer: había
When we lived in Sweden, there was always snow.
Background and description use the imperfect.
16. Anoche ellos ... pizza.
Answer: comieron
Last night they ate pizza.
A completed action in the past uses the preterite.
17. Mi abuelo siempre ... historias interesantes.
Answer: contaba
My grandfather always used to tell interesting stories.
Habits in the past use the imperfect.
18. El sábado pasado nosotros ... al cine.
Answer: fuimos
Last Saturday we went to the cinema.
A specific completed event uses the preterite.
19. Cuando tenía veinte años, ... en un restaurante.
Answer: trabajaba
When I was twenty, I worked in a restaurant.
A background period in someone’s life uses the imperfect.
20. Esta tarde ... a María en el centro.
Answer: vi
This afternoon I saw María downtown.
A short completed event uses the preterite.
Spanish preterite vs imperfect
Exercises
1. Cuando era niño, ... mucho fútbol.
2. Ayer ... al supermercado.
3. Siempre ... café por la mañana.
4. Anoche ... muy tarde.
5. Mientras nosotros ..., sonó el teléfono.
6. El año pasado ... en Madrid.
7. Cuando yo ..., hacía mucho frío.
8. Esta mañana ... una llamada importante.
9. Todos los días ... en autobús.
10. De repente, él ... la puerta.
11. Antes yo no ... español.
12. Ayer nosotros ... una película.
13. Mientras ella ..., yo estudiaba.
14. La semana pasada ... muy enfermo.
15. Cuando vivíamos en Suecia, siempre ... nieve.
16. Anoche ellos ... pizza.
17. Mi abuelo siempre ... historias interesantes.
18. El sábado pasado nosotros ... al cine.
19. Cuando tenía veinte años, ... en un restaurante.
20. Esta tarde ... a María en el centro.
Spanish preterite vs imperfect
Answer key
1. jugaba
When I was a child, I used to play a lot of football.
The imperfect is used for habits and background in the past: cuando era niño...
2. fui
Yesterday I went to the supermarket.
The preterite is used for completed events: ayer fui...
3. bebía
I always used to drink coffee in the morning.
Siempre often points to the imperfect: a habit in the past.
4. llegué
Last night I arrived home very late.
A specific completed action uses the preterite.
5. comíamos
While we were eating, the phone rang.
An ongoing background action uses the imperfect.
6. viví
Last year I lived in Madrid.
A finished time period often uses the preterite.
7. era
When I was little, it was very cold.
Background descriptions often use the imperfect.
8. recibí
This morning I received an important call.
A specific event uses the preterite.
9. íbamos
Every day we used to go by bus.
A repeated habit uses the imperfect.
10. abrió
Suddenly, he opened the door.
Sudden events often use the preterite.
11. hablaba
Before, I did not speak Spanish.
A long-term state in the past uses the imperfect.
12. vimos
Yesterday we watched a film.
A completed activity uses the preterite.
13. dormía
While she was sleeping, I was studying.
An ongoing background action uses the imperfect.
14. estuve
Last week I was very sick.
A state limited to a specific period often uses the preterite.
15. había
When we lived in Sweden, there was always snow.
Background and description use the imperfect.
16. comieron
Last night they ate pizza.
A completed action in the past uses the preterite.
17. contaba
My grandfather always used to tell interesting stories.
Habits in the past use the imperfect.
18. fuimos
Last Saturday we went to the cinema.
A specific completed event uses the preterite.
19. trabajaba
When I was twenty, I worked in a restaurant.
A background period in someone’s life uses the imperfect.
20. vi
This afternoon I saw María downtown.
A short completed event uses the preterite.
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Liknande övningar som passar bra att göra härnäst.

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How to use this exercise effectively

This exercise trains you to fill in the correct word or phrase in real sentences.

The goal is not only to understand the language but to start feeling which patterns sound natural.

⚡ Click mode = fast recognition

It is usually best to start with Click mode.

This trains your brain to quickly recognize:

  • common sentence patterns
  • word order
  • verb forms
  • small grammar details
  • natural expressions and chunks

The goal here is repetition and volume.

After seeing many examples, the correct answers begin to feel natural automatically.

✍️ Writing mode = deeper learning

Once the sentences start feeling familiar, switch to Write mode.

This is where you notice what you can actually produce yourself.

When you must type the answer:

  • memory becomes much stronger
  • you notice details you missed before
  • spelling and grammar stick better

Many learners recognize the correct answer immediately, but only writing reveals whether you truly know it actively.

🧠 Why you must type the correct answer before continuing

If you answer incorrectly, the correct answer is shown, but the exercise does not let you skip ahead immediately.

This is intentional.

The brain learns much better when you:

  1. see the correct answer
  2. type it yourself immediately afterward
  3. repeat the spelling and movement pattern

This makes a big difference for long-term memory.

🔊 Use the audio a lot

Listen to the same sentence several times if needed.

Try to connect:

  • how the language sounds
  • how it is written
  • how the sentence pattern feels

You do not need to fully understand every grammar rule immediately. Repetition builds intuition over time.

📈 A good way to practice

  • Start in Click mode
  • Switch to Write mode afterward
  • Practice often in short sessions
  • Focus on patterns instead of perfection

After a while, the sentences start to feel natural without needing to think step by step.