Tell Your Stories in Spanish Using the Preterite and Imperfect Tense [Audio]

Telling stories is part of human nature, but when you’re learning a new language that skill can be hard to master. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not possible! 

The key is to know a couple of crucial Spanish tenses. 

Keep reading to discover:

• why storytelling is so important
• how to use the preterite and imperfect tenses to tell Spanish stories
• an example of a Spanish story using preterite and imperfect tenses (with audio!) 
• how to tell your own compelling stories in Spanish 

Storytelling to Describe Past Experiences

Since the beginning of human history, we’ve told stories about the world, the gods, and about ourselves too. Some scientists even argue that telling stories makes us human. 

Research has shown that when we’re told a story, the brain releases chemicals like cortisol, dopamine, and oxytocin. These chemicals are related to formulating memories, regulating emotional responses, and creating deeper connections.  

So, it’s safe to say that storytelling is a big thing among the members of our species. However, to tell a great story, it’s important to build a strong message and create emotional connections with your audience—the people reading or listening to your story. 

When you tell a story, it’s usually about something that happened in the past. We tell stories about our trips, important events, or even about ancient history. Storytelling is a way of talking about our past. 

So, if you want to tell Spanish stories, how do you talk about the past in Spanish? 

How to Use the Preterite Tense in Spanish

The Spanish language has two tenses to talk about the past: the preterite and the imperfect. Let’s learn first how to use the preterite tense in Spanish. Then I’ll introduce you to the imperfect. 

When Do You Use the Preterite in Spanish?

We use the preterite to talk about completed actions in the past. In other words, you use the preterite if the action that you’re talking about had a definite beginning and a definite end in the past. 

As a clue for using the preterite, look for trigger words or phrases that identify a specific time frame, such as ayer (yesterday), anoche (last night), and el año pasado (last year). 

How Do You Form the Preterite?

Although in Spanish there are three types of conjugation depending on the ending of the verb (-ar, -er, -ir), in the preterite tense the situation is simplified since the -er and -ir verbs have the same conjugation. 

Let’s take a look at these two types of preterite conjugations. 

Verbs Ending in -ar and -er/-ir

The preterite tense conjugation endings for every -ar verb in Spanish are as follows: 

The preterite tense conjugation endings for every -er and -ir verb in Spanish are as follows: 

Pasar, Salir, Quedarse

Now, let me use some specific verbs as examples to show you how easy it’s to conjugate in the Spanish preterite tense. 

Pasar Preterite (to pass) 

Salir Preterite (to go out) 

Quedarse Preterite (to stay) 

In Spanish, some verbs work in a different way, as they talk about things you do to and for yourself. They’re called reflexive verbs, and they need a reflexive pronoun to work. Quedarse or “to stay” is an example of this kind of verb. Here’s how to conjugate them in preterite tense.

Easy List of Common Irregulars

Most irregular verbs have the following ending in preterite tense: 

However, before you add the ending, you need to know the preterite stem of these verbs. For example: 

How to Use the Imperfect Tense in Spanish

Now, let’s focus on the imperfect tense in Spanish and how to use it. 

When to Use the Imperfect in Spanish

You use the imperfect tense in Spanish when talking about past actions that don’t have a definite end. Sometimes we talk about actions that are yet to be completed or that refer to a general time in the past. That’s when you use the imperfect in Spanish. 

Usually, you use the imperfect tense to talk about time and dates, habitually repeated actions, characteristics, someone’s age in the past, and mental or physical states. 

How Do You Form the Imperfect?

For the imperfect tense in Spanish the same thing as in the preterite: you have the verbs ending in -ar with one type of conjugation, then the -er and -ir verbs with a different one, and then some irregular verbs. 

Verbs ending in -ar and -er/ir

To form the imperfect tense of Spanish verbs ending in -ar, take off the -ar ending and add the following endings: 

To form the imperfect tense of Spanish verbs ending in -er and -ir, take off the -er and -ir endings and add the following endings: 

Invitar, Preguntar, Decir

Now, let’s learn how to form the imperfect tense in Spanish using some example verbs.

Invitar Imperfect (to say)

Preguntar Imperfect (to say)

Decir Imperfect (to say)

Easy List of Common Irregulars

The most common irregular verbs in the imperfect tense are ser (“to be”), ir (“to go”), and ver (“to see”). 

Ser Imperfect (to be)

Ir Imperfect (to go)

Ver Imperfect (to see)

Preterite vs Imperfect Paragraph

Now, I’m going to tell you a short and simple story in Spanish using both preterite and imperfect so you can see how useful these tenses are to tell stories. Listen to the audio, then try reading it aloud in Spanish. You can see the English translation of the story below. 

El Verano en Puerto Vallarta

Era el año 2018 y yo me encontraba en la ciudad costera de Puerto Vallarta, en el occidente de México. Había viajado hasta allí para encontrarme con mi hermano que vivía ahí con su esposa y me invitó a pasar el verano con ellos. Me pareció una gran idea y decidí visitarlo.

Cuando llegué a Puerto Vallarta lo primero que llamó mi atención fue el intenso calor y la gran humedad que se sentía en el ambiente. Sin embargo, pronto me acostumbré y me dí cuenta que lo mejor era usar todo el tiempo bermudas y sandalias. 

Durante ese verano descubrí que Puerto Vallarta es una de las ciudades más hermosas de México y que es el lugar perfecto para criar una familia. También descubrí que tiene mucho que ofrecer para los amantes de los deportes acuáticos, ya que practiqué paddleboarding, surfing y un poco de snorkeling. 

Cuando me despedí de mi hermano, le prometí volver muy pronto. 

Summer in Puerto Vallarta

It was 2018, and I was in the coastal city of Puerto Vallarta in western Mexico. I had traveled there to meet my brother who lived there with his wife and he had invited me to spend the summer with them. I thought it was a great idea and decided to visit him. 

When I arrived in Puerto Vallarta, the first thing I noticed was the intense heat and the great humidity that you felt in the environment. However, I got used to it soon and discovered that the best thing I could do was to wear bermuda shorts and flip flops all day. 

During that summer, I discovered that Puerto Vallarta is one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico and the perfect place to raise a family. I also discovered that it has a lot to offer for water sports lovers, as I did paddleboarding, surfing, and a little bit of snorkeling. 

When I said goodbye to my brother, I promised him that I would come back soon. 

How to Tell Your Story in Spanish

If you want to tell great Spanish stories, you need to build a good message first. Think about what you want to say and how you plan to say it. Think about the ambience you want to create in your story and identify your characters. Finally, an important element of every good story is that there should be a conflict to keep the interest of the listeners or readers. 

To tell good stories in Spanish, make use of this list of transition words and this massive list of adjectives in Spanish for beginners. Finally, when you tell a story in Spanish it’s useful to know a few terms about the stages of life. 

Try listening to these free podcasts for beginners and learn more about storytelling in Spanish. 

Practice Spanish With a Native Speaker

Ultimately, the best way to learn to tell stories in Spanish is by practicing with a native Spanish speaker! Especially someone who will correct your mistakes and help you tell a better story in Spanish.

Homeschool Spanish Academy can help you achieve your goal to speak more fluent Spanish. 

If you sign up today for a free trial class with one of our certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala, you’ll get to perfect your storytelling skills in Spanish. Our teachers teach over 24,000 actively enrolled students every month, offer flexible scheduling, and are eager to hear your Spanish stories!

Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these

“Getting to know wonderful teachers who care about me and my growth in language and education. Evelyn Gomez and Erick Cacao are two of the most extraordinary people I have ever met, and talking with them in Spanish at the beginning of classes is always so fulfilling and greatly contributes to my happiness, joy, and wellbeing.”

– Abby

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

“It’s great being able to interact with native speaking people and having a conversation with them not just doing all the work on paper. It’s also an amazing opportunity to speak with native Spanish-speaking people without having to travel to a native Spanish-speaking country.”

– Melanie

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Luis F. Dominguez

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Luis F. Domínguez is a freelance writer and independent journalist interested in travel, languages, art, books, history, philosophy, politics and sports. He has written for Fodor’s, Yahoo!, Sports Illustrated, Telemundo, and Villa Experience, among other brands of print and digital media in Europe and North America.

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