Preterite Tense Flashcards
(158 cards)
1
Q
Maria spoke with Juan.
(the preterite is the past tense used to express an action completed at a definite time in the past)
A
María habló con Juan.
(the preterite of regular -ar verbs is formed by dropping the ending and adding the appropriate personal endings)
2
Q
We swam in the ocean.
A
Nosotros nadamos en el mar.
3
Q
Carlos played the guitar.
A
Carlos tocó la guitarra.
4
Q
They bought the house.
A
Ellos compraron la casa.
5
Q
I ate dinner very late.
A
Yo cené muy tarde.
6
Q
I don’t know what time you finished.
(to several people)
A
Yo no sé a qué hora terminaron Uds.
7
Q
The girl skied very well.
A
La niña esquió muy bien.
8
Q
You screamed; you didn’t speak.
(to a friend)
A
Tú gritaste; no hablaste.
gritar → to shout; to call (out); to scream
9
Q
You bought too much.
(to a friend)
A
Tú compraste demasiado.
10
Q
Miguel didn’t speak in a loud voice.
A
Miguel no habló en voz alta.
11
Q
I didn’t prepare anything.
A
Yo no preparé nada.
12
Q
They didn’t dance much.
A
Ellos no bailaron mucho.
13
Q
You finished early.
(to a friend)
A
Tú terminaste pronto.
14
Q
You sang very well.
A
Ud. cantó muy bien.
15
Q
We cleaned the house.
A
Nosotros limpiamos la casa.
16
Q
I washed the car.
A
Lavé el carro.
17
Q
They swam in the swimming pool.
A
Ellos nadaron en la piscina.
18
Q
I played football in the stadium.
A
Yo jugué al fútbol en el estadio.
19
Q
He talked with his friends at the café.
A
Él habló con sus amigos en el café.
20
Q
You danced and sang well last night.
(to a friend)
A
Tú bailaste y cantaste bien anoche.
21
Q
We looked for a house in that neighbourhood over there.
A
Nosotros buscamos una casa en aquel barrio.
22
Q
You travelled a lot last year.
A
Ud. viajó mucho el año pasado.
23
Q
They defended your opinion.
A
Ellos defendieron su opinión.
(the preterite of regular -er and -ir verbs is formed by dropping the ending and adding the appropriate personal endings)
24
Q
I sold the house last year.
A
Yo vendí la casa el año pasado.
25
My cousins lived in the capital.
Mis primos viv**ieron** en la capital.
26
You received it the other day.
| (to a friend)
Tú lo recib**iste** el otro día.
27
At what time did you leave?
| (to several people)
¿A qué hora sal**ieron** Uds.?
28
We learnt a lot in that subject.
Nosotros aprend**imos** mucho en aquel curso.
29
Your team lost the game.
Su equipo perd**ió** el juego.
30
I didn't eat much.
Yo no com**í** mucho.
31
Did you write that article?
| (to a friend)
¿Escrib**iste** tú aquel artículo?
32
We got back at eight o'clock.
Nosotros volv**imos** a las ocho.
33
Carmen and Maria left at eight o'clock.
Carmen y María sal**ieron** a las ocho.
34
We drank wine.
Nosotros beb**imos** vino.
35
He sold the car.
Él vend**ió** el carro.
36
I lived in the very centre.
Yo viv**í** en el centro mismo.
37
Nobody lost.
Nadie perd**ió**.
38
You wrote good articles.
| (to a friend)
Tú escrib**iste** buenos artículos.
39
Gladys left last night with her friend Tadeo.
Gladys sal**ió** anoche con su amigo Tadeo.
40
They attended a Julio Iglesias concert, the Spanish singer that enjoys so much popularity.
Ellos asist**ieron** a un concierto de Julio Iglesias, el cantante español que goz**a** de tanta popularidad.
**gozar de** → *to enjoy; to possess; to have*
41
Gladys liked the concert a lot.
A Gladys le gust**ó** mucho el concierto.
42
She says that Julio sang very well and that he chose precious songs.
Dice que Julio cant**ó** muy bien y que escog**ió** canciones preciosas.
**escoger** → *to choose; to pick*
43
The concert started and finished on time.
El concierto empez**ó** y termin**ó** a tiempo.
44
Teresa came home at about eleven.
Teresa volv**ió** a casa a eso de las once.
**volver a casa** → *to come home; to go home*
45
Before going home, the two friends drank a beverage in the Metropol coffee shop in the Main Street.
Antes de volver a casa los dos amigos tom**aron** un refresco en la cefetería Metropol en la Gran Vía.
46
What a coincidence!
¿Qué coincidencia!
47
Last night I went out too.
Anoche yo sal**í** también.
48
I went out with my friend Sarita.
Yo sal**í** con mi amiga Sarita.
49
Sarita and I saw a very good film at the Colón Cinema.
Sarita y yo v**imos** una película muy buena en el cine Colón.
50
When we came out from the cinema, we decided to go to the Metropol cafeteria to drink a refreshment.
Cuando nosotros sal**imos** del cine decid**imos** ir a la cafetería Metropol a tomar un refresco.
**salir de** → *to come out from (of)*
51
Unfortunately we didn't see Gladys and Tadeo because they left from the coffee shop at about ten thirty and we arrived at just over eleven.
Desgraciadamente no v**imos** a Gladys y a Tadeo porque ellos sal**ieron** de la cafetería a eso de las diez y media y nosotros lleg**amos** a las once y pico.
52
I gave a donation to the poor.
Yo le d**i** una limosna al pobre.
(**dar** is irregular and follows the same pattern as an **-er**/**-ir** verb)
53
Carlos gave the tip to the waiter.
Carlos le d**io** la propina al camerero.
54
We gave the papers to the professor.
Nosotros le d**imos** los papeles al profesor.
55
You gave me good advice.
| (to a friend)
Tú me d**iste** buenos consejos.
56
I didn't give you anything.
| (to a friend)
Yo no te d**i** nada.
57
Who gave you the news?
| (to a friend)
¿Quién te d**io** las noticias?
58
That scared me.
Eso me d**io** miedo.
**dar miedo** → *to scare; to be afraid*
59
They gave a present to their mother.
Ellos le d**ieron** un regalo a su madre.
60
He didn't lie to me.
Él no me m**i**nt**ió**.
(**e** changes to **i** for **él** and **ellos**)
**mentir** → *to lie*
61
You suggested the plan.
| (to a friend)
Tú suger**iste** el plan.
62
I was very sorry.
Yo lo sent**í** mucho.
63
You slept well last night.
| (to a friend)
Tú dorm**iste** bien anoche.
64
Why did they prefer to go by train?
¿Por qué pref**i**r**ieron** ellos ir en tren?
**preferir** → *to prefer*
65
We didn't lie.
Nosotros no ment**imos**.
66
He preferred to go by plane.
Él pref**i**r**ió** ir en avión.
67
They didn't lie.
Ellos no m**i**nt**ieron**.
**mentir** → *to lie*
68
She didn't sleep well.
Ella no d**u**rm**ió** muy bien.
(**o** is replaced with **u** for **él** and **ellos**)
**dormir** → *to sleep*
69
They had a fit of laughter.
Ellos se m**u**r**ieron** de risa.
**morirse de** → *to have a fit of*
70
He didn't suggest anything.
Él no sug**i**r**ió** nada.
**sugerir** → *to suggest*
71
They were sorry to hear the bad news.
Ellos s**i**nt**ieron** oír las malas noticias.
**sentir** → *to feel; to be sorry*
72
The cook fried the chicken.
El cocinero fr**ió** el pollo.
**freír** → *to fry*
73
Why did you laugh?
| (to a friend)
¿Por qué re**íste** tú?
**reír** → *to laugh*
74
They didn't ask me for anything.
Ellos no me p**i**d**ieron** nada.
(**e** changes to **i** for **él** and **ellos**)
**pedir** → *to ask for*
75
I served the meal.
Yo serv**í** la comida.
76
The boy smiled at us.
El niño nos sonr**ió**.
**sonreír** → *to smile*
77
Why did we argue with him?
¿Por qué reñ**imos** nosotros con él?
**reñir con** → *to argue with*
78
Last Friday I ate at the Luna Restaurant.
El viernes pasado yo com**í** en el restaurante Luna.
79
I ordered seafood in green sauce and my companions ordered a combination of steak and lobster.
Yo ped**í** mariscos en salsa verde y mis compañeros p**i**d**ieron** una combinación de biftec y langosta.
80
The waiter served them the steak and the lobster accompanied by roast suckling pig, beans and rice.
El mesero les s**i**rv**ió** el biftec y la langosta acompañados de tostones y frijoles y arroz.
81
And after eating all that, they ordered a dessert.
Y después de comer todo eso ellos p**i**d**ieron** un postre.
82
But not me.
Pero yo no.
83
I didn't order anything.
Yo no ped**í** nada.
84
The only thing that I asked of the waiter was the bill.
La única cosa que yo le ped**í** al mesero fue la cuenta.
**pedir a** → *to ask of*
85
He laughed a little.
Él r**ió** un poco.
86
But to me I didn't care because I followed my diet.
Pero a mí no me importa porque yo segu**í** mi régimen.
87
I ate the seafood, but I didn't eat the rice that was accompanying it.
Yo com**í** los mariscos pero no com**í** el arroz que los acompañaba.
88
They walked through the park.
Ellos and**uvieron** por el parque.
(certain irregular verbs have **uv** in the preterite stem)
**andar** → *to walk*
89
His father was sick last year.
Su padre est**uvo** enfermo el año pasado.
90
We didn't have enough money.
Nosotros no t**uvimos** suficiente dinero.
91
I wasn't there.
Yo no est**uve** allí.
92
You walked along that region?
| (to a friend)
¿Tú and**uviste** por aquella región?
**andar por** → *to walk along; to walk by*
93
The Arabs were in Spain eight centuries.
Los árabes est**uvieron** ocho siglos en España.
**estar en** → *to be in*
94
Who had it?
¿Quién lo t**uvo**?
95
Did you walk through the interior of the country?
(to several people)
¿And**uvieron** Uds. por el interior del país?
96
I didn't have such an opportunity.
Yo no t**uve** tal oportunidad.
**tal** → *such (an)*
97
Why were you there?
| (to a friend)
¿Por qué est**uviste** tú allí?
98
I had bad luck.
Yo t**uve** mala suerte.
99
I walked through the park.
Yo and**uve** por el parque.
100
I was at the market.
Yo est**uve** en el mercado.
**estar en** → *to be at; to be in*
101
We had to send the letter.
Nosotros tuv**imos** que mandar la carta.
102
We walked through the centre of the city.
Nosotros and**uvimos** por el centro de la ciudad.
103
We were in Argentina.
Nosotros est**uvimos** en Argentina.
104
They refused to leave.
Ellos no qu**isieron** salir.
(special meaning in the preterite; contains an **i**)
**querer** → *to want to*
105
I did all the work.
Yo h**ice** todo el trabajo.
(contains an **i** in all forms of the preterite)
**hacer** → *to do*
106
He came early.
Él v**ino** temprano.
(contains an **i** in all forms of the preterite)
**venir** → *to come*
107
The Gomez's made a trip to Mexico.
Los Gómez h**icieron** un viaje a México.
108
Did you come by train or by car?
| (to a friend)
¿V**iniste** tú en tren o en coche?
109
Why didn't Robert want to do it?
¿Por qué no lo qu**iso** hacer Roberto?
110
He came on foot, didn't he?
Él v**ino** a pie, ¿no?
111
I didn't want to talk about the issue.
Yo no qu**ise** hablar del asunto.
112
He translated the letter from English to Spanish.
Él tradu**jo** la carta del inglés al español.
(contains a **j** in the preterite)
**traducir** → *to translate*
113
I didn't bring anything.
Yo no tra**je** nada.
(contains a **j** in the preterite)
**traer** → *to bring*
114
Who said that?
| (referring to several people)
¿Quiénes d**ijeron** eso?
(contains an **ij** in the preterite)
**decir** → *to say; to tell*
115
We didn't say anything to Enrique.
Nosotros no le d**ijimos** nada a Enrique.
116
The country produced a lot of sugar cane.
El país produ**jo** mucha caña de azúcar.
(contains a **j** in the preterite)
**producir** → *to produce*
117
The poets translated the poems.
Los poetas tradu**jeron** las poesías.
118
Yes, I went to the market.
Sí, **fui** al mercado.
(**ir** and **ser** are the same in the preterite)
**ir** → *to go*
119
Yes, I was a poet once.
Sí, **fui** poeta una vez.
**ser** → *to be*
120
Yes, Juan went to the mountains.
Sí, Juan **fue** a las montañas.
121
Yes, Mr. Gonzalez was a member.
Sí, el señor González **fue** miembro.
122
Yes, we went to the Lopez's house.
Sí, nosotros **fuimos** a casa de los López.
123
Yes, it was Juan and Carlos who said it.
Sí, **fueron** Juan y Carlos quienes lo dijeron.
124
They went to the market.
Ellos **fueron** al mercado.
125
I was unique.
Yo **fui** el único.
126
We all went together.
**Fuimos** todos juntos.
127
That gentleman was the president.
Aquel señor **fue** el presidente.
128
Enrique went too.
Enrique **fue** tambien.
129
I went to Maria's party.
**Fui** a la fiesta de Maria.
130
They watched television last night.
They used to watch television each night.
Ellos mir**aron** la televisión anoche.
Ellos mir**aban** la televisión cada noche.
131
Juan was here yesterday.
Juan was here the other day too.
Juan est**uvo** aquí ayer.
Juan est**uvo** aquí el otro día tambien.
132
We went over there last year.
We used to go over there very often.
**Fuimos** allá el año pasado.
I**bamos** allá muy a menudo.
133
They used to eat at that restaurant every Saturday.
They ate at that restaurant last Saturday.
Com**ían** en aquel restaurante todos los sábados.
Com**ieron** en aquel restaurante el sábado pasado.
134
I used to see it once in a while.
I used to see it with frequency.
Yo lo ve**ía** de vez en cuando.
Yo lo ve**ía** con frecuencia.
135
Last night we discussed the same problem.
We always used to discuss the same problem.
Anoche discut**imos** el mismo problema.
Siempre discut**íamos** el mismo problema.
136
The professor used to repeat it many times.
The professor repeated it once.
El profesor lo repet**ía** muchas veces.
El profesor lo rep**i**t**ió** una vez.
137
The director disappeared in 1940.
The director used to disappear once in a while.
El director desaparec**ió** en 1940.
El director desaparec**iá** de vez en cuando.
138
Her father always used to be sick.
Her father was sick for three years.
Su padre siempre est**aba** enfermo.
Su padre est**uvo** enfermo por tres años.
139
During the last trip, he paid with traveller's cheques.
During all his trips, he used to pay with traveller's cheques.
Durante el último viaje, él pag**ó** con cheques de viajero.
Durante todos sus viajes, él pag**aba** con cheques de viajero.
140
Yes, he used to discuss the problem with frequency.
Sí, discut**ía** el problema con frecuencia.
141
Yes, he went to the countryside last summer.
Sí, **fue** al campo el verano pasado.
142
Yes, he lived in Zaragoza two years ago.
Sí, viv**ió** en Zaragoza hace dos años.
143
Yes, she used to attend the concerts every Friday.
Sí, asist**ía** a los conciertos todos los viernes.
144
Yes, she danced a lot last night.
Sí, bail**ó** mucho anoche.
145
Yes, he always used to drive the car.
Sí, siempre conduc**ía** el coche.
146
Some friends swam while others basked in the sun.
Unos amigos nad**aban** mientras los otros tom**aban** el sol.
(anything that is scenery or is described in the background is expressed by the imperfect)
**tomar el sol** → *to sunbathe; to bask in the sun*
147
Maria was talking with her mother when I entered.
María habl**aba** con su madre cuando yo entr**é**.
148
They were discussing it when we interrupted.
Ellos lo discut**ían** cuando nosotros interrump**imos**.
149
My mother was preparing the food while my father was setting the table.
Mi madre prepar**aba** la comida mientras mi padre pon**ía** la mesa.
150
I was sleeping when the telephone rang.
Yo dorm**ía** cuando son**ó** el teléfono.
151
They were eating when I called on the phone.
Ellos com**ían** cuando yo llam**é** por teléfono.
152
My parents were watching the television while I was studying.
Mis padres mir**aban** la televisión mientras yo estudi**aba**.
153
They were talking about the election when I announced the results.
Ellos habl**aban** de las elecciones cuando yo anunci**é** los resultados.
154
One gentleman ate and the other drank.
Un señor com**ió** y el otro beb**ió**.
155
Maria watched over the suitcases and her friend took out the tickets.
María guard**ó** las maletas y su amiga sac**ó** los billetes.
**guardar** → *to keep; to guard; to watch over*
156
The policeman entered and the thief left.
El policía entr**ó** y el ladrón sal**ió**.
157
The boy cried and the dog barked.
El niño llor**ó** y el perro ladr**ó**.
**ladrar** → *to bark*
158
The bullfighter flapped the cape and the bull charged.
El torero agit**ó** el capote y el toro embest**ió**.
**agitar** → *to flap; to shake up*
**embestir** → *to charge at; to attack*
