Spanish Lesson 14 (Past Tense & Colors)
Duration: 30 mins
This 14th lesson deals with the past tense in Spanish. In addition I included a vocabulary list about colors, as well as some basic phrases. I will try to give examples using both vocabulary and grammar. That way it will be easy for you to see the words when they are separate and when they are in a sentence. Going through the whole page should take about 30 min. Make sure to read the pronunciation and hear the audio as well. If you have any question about this course, please email me directly at Spanish Classes.
Past
The past is one of the 3 tenses (present, past, and future) we will be discussing in the next 3 lessons. So it is recommended not to skip any of them because they are all related.
Grammar Rule
The past tense (preterite) in Spanish is used mainly in 3 cases:
- To describe events completed in the past: Yo entendí (I understood)
- When an event happened while another event was still happening: Estaba leyendo cuando la llamé. (She was reading when I called her)
- With expressions referring to the past such as: ayer (yesterday), anoche (last night), el año pasado (last year): Hablé con ella anoche. (I talked to her last night)
To be able to conjugate a verb properly in Spanish, you need to know 2 things:
- Is the verb ending in (-ar, -er or -ir)? Example: hablar, comer, vivir
- Is the verb regular or irregular? Examples: Estar, saber, venir
Here are examples about both:
Past Tense (regular verbs)
- Pensar (to think): yo pensé, tu pensaste, el/ella pensó, nosotros pensamos, ellos/ellas/Uds pensaron
- Comer (to eat): yo comí, tu comiste, el/ella comió, nosotros comimos, ellos/ellas/Uds comieron
- Vivir (to live): yo viví, tu viviste, el/ella vivió, nosotros vivimos, ellos/ellas/Uds vivieron
Past Tense (irregular verbs)
- Estar (to be): yo estuve, tu estuviste, el/ella/Usted estuvo, nosotros estuvimos, ellos/ellas/Uds estuvieron
- Saber (to know): yo supe, tu supiste, el/ella/Usted supo, nosotros supimos, ellos/ellas/Uds supieron
- Venir (to come): yo vine, tu viniste, el/ella/Usted vino, nosotros vinimos, ellos/ellas/Uds vinieron
Overview
- If a verb is regular and ending in (~ar) use the following: verb stem + é,aste,ó,amos,aron
- If a verb is regular and ending in (~er, ~ir) use the following: verb stem + iste,ió,imos,ieron
- Usually, if a verb is iregular use the following: irregular verb stem + e,iste,o,imos,ieron
Below is a list of 15 sentences conjugated into the past tense. I focused on the examples you might come across or use very often. The table contains 3 columns (English, Spanish, and Audio). Make sure you repeat each word after hearing it by either clicking on the audio button or by reading the pronunciation. That should help with memorization as well as improving your pronunciation.
Past Tense in Spanish
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact me If you simply want to ask a question, please Spanish contact form on the header above.
List of Colors in Spanish
Below is a list of 18 words and expressions related to colors.
Colors in Spanish
Daily Conversation in Spanish
Finally, here are some common sentences to strengthen your conversation skills. For a complete list of commonly used sentences, please visit our Spanish Phrases page. Enjoy!
Common Expressions in Spanish
Fun Facts
Language Quote: ❝To have another language is to possess a second soul.❞ ‒Charlemagne
Congratulations! You finished your 14th lesson in Spanish about the past tense, and a vocabulary list about colors. Are you ready for the next lesson? We recommend Spanish Lesson 15. You can also simply click on one of the links below or go back to our Learn Spanish homepage.