Combining Tenses in Spanish

Combining Tenses in Spanish

We combine tenses unthinkingly in English: “I was cooking when the phone rang.” “The storm started, I was at home.” “When I get more time, I will travel more often.” “If I were rich, I’d have a big house.”

The problem is that, as native speakers, we never stop to think about the fact that we’re combining different tenses. In fact, we rarely think about tenses in English at all: we simply use them!

Spanish Preterite and Imperfect Sentences

When you start saying anything but the simplest of sentences in Spanish, you’re going to need the ability to distinguish tenses in your head. The two main past tenses are the perfect place to start, because many sentences combine the two.

Let’s say that you want to tell someone “I wasn’t home when you called.”

  • What is the action that occurs over an indefinite period of time in the past? "My not being home."
  • What is the event that breaks up the continuous action? "Your call."

Therefore, “I wasn’t home” would be in the imperfect tense, while “you called” would be in the preterite tense.

Ready to Start Learning Spanish?

See how Rocket Spanish helps you learn Spanish online, from pronunciation practice to learning on the go. Watch the official Rocket Spanish Course Tour below!

Or perhaps you want to say “I was 18 years old when I graduated from high school.

  • What is the action that occurs over a period of time? "Being 18 years old."
  • What is the event that breaks up the timeline? "Graduation."

Therefore, “I was 18 years old” would be in the imperfect, while “I graduated” would be in the preterite.

  • Tenía dieciocho años cuando me gradué de colegio.

This pattern can be summarized as follows:

  • The imperfect refers to the ongoing action in a sentence.
  • The preterite refers to the action that intervened in the ongoing action.

Or, as I like to say it:

When an imperfect action is going on, a preterite event happens.

Important! Perfect Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record

Our voice recognition tool, Rocket Record, is used extensively throughout Rocket Spanish to get you speaking the right way. Listen to the tutor audio then record yourself saying the phrase. Use a headset mic in a quiet environment for best results. Problems? Click here!
Arreglaba mi computadora cuando se cortó la luz.
(I) was fixing my computer when the light went out.
Juan escribía una carta cuando se le cayó el lápiz.
Juan was writing a letter when (he) dropped his pencil.
Yo estaba ganando el juego cuando comenzó a llover.
I was winning the game when it started raining.
Eran las cinco cuando Teresa llegó.
(It) was five o'clock when Teresa arrived.

Important! Remember What You Learn

You'll put a lot of time into learning Spanish, so we make sure you can remember it all by including fun and engaging activities at the bottom of every lesson.

Thanks for joining us in this lesson on combining tenses in Spanish!

Want to learn more about Spanish Tenses? Take a look at these lessons:

See you soon! ¡Hasta pronto!

Mauricio Evlampieff: Rocket Spanish

Make Your Spanish Stick With The Rocket Activities

Reinforce your Spanish learning with activities that test your recall, listening and speaking skills!
Activities
Flashcards
Reinforce your memory using Flashcards
4 left
Listening
Listen to the phrase, then record yourself saying the phrase
4 left
Writing
Listen to the phrase, then type what you heard
4 left
Speaking
Record yourself saying the phrase out loud
4 left

Let's get you talking in Spanish.

We love Latin American people and Latin American culture - from ancient monuments and incredible art to flavorful food and lively festivals! And there's no better way to connect with them than by learning español.

No credit card required

or
Sign up with GoogleSign up with Apple