Simple Past (Simple Past Perfect) in Spanish

The simple past, also known as the pretérito perfecto simple, is a very important verb tense in Spanish.

It allows us to talk about actions that occurred and were completed in the past, without any relation to the present. In this article, we will learn what the simple past is, when it is used, how it is formed, the most common irregular verbs, and some common mistakes we should avoid. Let’s go!

What is the Simple Past?

The simple past, or simple past perfect, is a verb tense that we use to talk about past actions that have already finished. Examples of sentences in the simple past in Spanish:

• Ayer comí ensalada. (Yesterday I ate salad.)
• El año pasado viajé a México. (Last year I traveled to Mexico.)
• Él habló con su amigo hace una semana. (He spoke with his friend a week ago.)
• Nosotros estudiamos para el examen. (We studied for the exam.)
• Ellos jugaron al fútbol el sábado. (They played soccer on Saturday.)

Description of the Simple Past in the Spanish Table

How to Form the Simple Past in Spanish

The simple past has a specific structure in Spanish. The conjugation changes according to the type of verb, whether it ends in -ar, -er, or -ir. Let’s see how to conjugate regular verbs in each case.

Structure of the Simple Past

• -ar Verbs

Example with the verb hablar (speak): yo hablé, tú hablaste, él/ella habló, nosotros hablamos, vosotros hablasteis, ellos/ellas hablaron. (I spoke, you spoke, he/she spoke, we spoke, you all spoke, they spoke.)

Examples of verbs in the simple past with -ar ending:

Yo hablé con mi hermano. (I spoke with my brother.)

Tú hablaste por teléfono. (You spoke on the phone.)

Ella habló en la reunión. (She spoke at the meeting.)

Nosotros hablamos ayer. (We spoke yesterday.)

Ellos hablaron del problema. (They talked about the problem.)

• -er Verbs

Example with the verb comer (eat): yo comí, tú comiste, él/ella comió, nosotros comimos, vosotros comisteis, ellos/ellas comieron (I ate, you ate, he/she ate, we ate, you all ate, they ate.).

Examples of verbs in the simple past with -er ending:

Yo comí pasta anoche. (I ate pasta last night.)

Tú comiste temprano. (You ate early.)

Él comió en el restaurante. (He ate at the restaurant.)

Nosotros comimos juntos. (We ate together.)

Ellos comieron mucho. (They ate a lot.)

-ir Verbs

Example with the verb vivir (live): yo viví, tú viviste, él/ella vivió, nosotros vivimos, vosotros vivisteis, ellos/ellas vivieron. (I lived, you lived, he/she lived, we lived, you all lived, they lived)

Examples of verbs in the simple past with -ir ending:

Yo viví en Costa Rica el año pasado. (I lived in Costa Rica last year.)

Tú viviste en esa casa. (You lived in that house.)

Ella vivió con sus padres. (She lived with her parents.)

Nosotros vivimos allí por un tiempo. (We lived there for a while.)

Ellos vivieron cerca de la escuela. (They lived near the school.)

Main Irregular Verbs in the Simple Past

Some verbs are irregular in the simple past and do not follow the standard conjugation rules. These verbs change form, and it is important to learn them because they are frequently used.

Examples of irregular verbs in the simple past:

Ser/Ir (To be/To go): yo fui, tú fuiste, él/ella fue, nosotros fuimos, vosotros fuisteis, ellos/ellas fueron (was/went, you were/went, he/she was/went, we were/went, you all were/went, they were/went.)

• Yo fui al cine. (I went to the cinema.)
• Tú fuiste muy amable. (You were very kind.)
• Él fue mi amigo. (He was my friend.)
• Nosotros fuimos al concierto. (We went to the concert.)
• Ellos fueron de vacaciones. (They went on vacation.)

Tener (To have): yo tuve, tú tuviste, él/ella tuvo, nosotros tuvimos, vosotros tuvisteis, ellos/ellas tuvieron (I had, you had, he/she had, we had, you all had, they had.)

• Yo tuve un perro. (I had a dog.)
• Tú tuviste una buena idea. (You had a good idea.)
• Ella tuvo una fiesta. (She had a party.)
• Nosotros tuvimos una reunión. (We had a meeting.)
• Ellos tuvieron éxito. (They were successful.)

Hacer (to do): yo hice, tú hiciste, él/ella hizo, nosotros hicimos, vosotros hicisteis, ellos/ellas hicieron. (I did/made, you did/made, he/she did/made, we did/made, you all did/made, they did/made.)

• Yo hice la tarea. (I did the homework.)
• Tú hiciste una llamada. (You made a call.)
• Él hizo un pastel. (He made a cake.)
• Nosotros hicimos deporte. (We played sports.)
• Ellos hicieron la cena. (They made dinner.)

Decir (to say): yo dije, tú dijiste, él/ella dijo, nosotros dijimos, vosotros dijisteis, ellos/ellas dijeron. (I said, you said, he/she said, we said, you all said, they said.)

• Yo dije la verdad. (I told the truth.)
• Tú dijiste algo interesante. (You said something interesting.)
• Ella dijo que vendría. (She said she would come.)
• Nosotros dijimos que no. (We said no.)
• Ellos dijeron que sí. (They said yes.)

Poder (to be able/can): yo pude, tú pudiste, él/ella pudo, nosotros pudimos, vosotros pudisteis, ellos/ellas pudieron. (I could, you could, he/she could, we could, you all could, they could.)

• Yo pude resolverlo. (I was able to solve it.)
• Tú pudiste ayudar. (You were able to help.)
• Él pudo entender. (He was able to understand.)
• Nosotros pudimos ganar. (We were able to win.)
• Ellos pudieron llegar a tiempo. (They were able to arrive on time.)

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Differences Between the Simple Past and Other Past Tenses

The simple past is different from other past tenses, such as the present perfect and the imperfect. 

The simple past is used for completed actions at a specific moment, while the present perfect refers to recent actions, and the imperfect refers to habitual actions. Comparative examples:

• Simple Past: Ayer comí pizza. (Yesterday I ate pizza.)
  Present Perfect: He comido pizza hoy. (I have eaten pizza today.) (recent)
• Simple Past: Estudié para el examen del lunes. (I studied for Monday's exam.)
  Imperfect: Estudiaba para el examen todos los lunes. (I studied for the exam every Monday.) (habit)
• Simple Past: Viví en México en 2021. (I lived in Mexico in 2021.)
  Present Perfect: He vivido en México. (I have lived in Mexico.) (no specific time)

Uses of the Simple Past in Spanish

The simple past is used in Spanish for several key purposes:

• Completed actions at a specific moment:

Ayer visité a mi amigo. (Yesterday I visited my friend.)

La semana pasada compré calabazas. (Last week I bought pumpkins.)

• Specific events in the past:

Ayer llovió toda la tarde. (It rained all afternoon yesterday.)

El viernes pasado fui a un concierto. (Last Friday I went to a concert.)

• Narration of facts:

Ella llegó y se sentó. (She arrived and sat down.)

Después de la cena, fuimos a dar un paseo. (After dinner, we went for a walk.)

• Brief descriptions:

El clima en la playa fue perfecto. (The weather at the beach was perfect.)

La película fue emocionante. (The movie was exciting.)

• Series of events:

Ayer estudié, hice la tarea y me fui a dormir. (Yesterday I studied, did my homework, and went to sleep.)

Fui al mercado, compré frutas y volví a casa. (I went to the market, bought fruits, and returned home.)

Common Mistakes with the Simple Past and How to Avoid Them

It is easy to make mistakes with the simple past, especially when confusing it with other tenses or using irregular verbs. Here are some common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Confusion with the Present Perfect

It is important to remember that the correct form is to use the simple past for completed actions.

• Incorrect: He comido ayer. (I have eaten yesterday.)
• Correct: Comí ayer. (I ate yesterday.)

Incorrect Use of Irregular Verbs

Don’t forget that irregular verbs change completely in the simple past, so it is incorrect to conjugate them the same way as regular verbs.

• Incorrect: Yo sabí la respuesta.
• Correct: Yo supe la respuesta. (I knew the answer.)

Forgetting the Correct Endings for -ar, -er, and -ir Verbs

Use the appropriate endings according to the type of verb. Review them daily until you master their use.

• Incorrect: Nosotros hablieron mucho. 
• Correct: Nosotros hablamos mucho. (We spoke a lot.)

Using the Simple Past Instead of the Imperfect

For repeated actions in the past, use the imperfect tense.

• Incorrect: Cuando era niño, fui al parque todos los días.
• Correct: Cuando era niño, iba al parque todos los días. (When I was a child, I went to the park every day.)

Practicing these details will help improve your use of the simple past in Spanish.

Summary

The simple past or pretérito perfecto simple is essential for talking about past events in the Spanish language. 
Learning to use it correctly will help you tell stories, relate experiences, and describe events that have already occurred. Keep practicing through the Promova lessons, and you will soon master the simple past without any problems.