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"Pretérito" is a noun which is often translated as "preterite", and "pretérito imperfecto" is a noun which is often translated as "imperfect past tense". Learn more about the difference between "pretérito" and "pretérito imperfecto" below.
el pretérito(
preh
-
teh
-
ree
-
toh
)
A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
masculine noun
a. preterite
"Yo bailo" está en presente; "yo bailé" está en pretérito."I dance" is in the present; "I danced" is in the preterite.
b. past
En un ejercicio del examen de español, teníamos que poner los verbos en pretérito.We had to put the verbs in the past in an exercise on the Spanish exam.
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
adjective
a. past
La gente siempre recuerda las épocas pretéritas como épocas mejores.People always remember past times as better times.
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el pretérito imperfecto(
preh
-
teh
-
ree
-
toh
 
eem
-
pehr
-
fehk
-
toh
)
A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
masculine noun
a. imperfect past tense
El pretérito imperfecto del español puede resultarles un poco difícil a los angloparlantes.The imperfect past tense in Spanish may be a little tricky for English speakers.
b. imperfect tense
¿Usarías el pretérito imperfecto en esta oración o el perfecto?Would you use the imperfect tense or the preterite in this sentence?
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