Welcome to Episode 38 of Learn Spanish 5 Minutes per Day in 100 Days!
In today's episode, we'll be delving into the past tense in Spanish and exploring different past time expressions. The past tense allows us to recount events that have already occurred, providing a crucial tool for effective communication. Let's jump right in!
Pretérito.
Past Tense.
Repeat: Pretérito.
The past tense in Spanish is formed differently depending on whether the action is completed (perfect tense) or ongoing (imperfect tense). Today, we'll focus on the perfect tense, which is commonly used to express completed actions in the past.
The perfect tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb haber (to have) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Let's go through some examples:
He comido.
I have eaten.
Repeat: He comido.
Here, he is the conjugation of the auxiliary verb haber in the present tense, and comido is the past participle of the verb comer (to eat).
Another example:
Hemos visitado el museo.
We have visited the museum.
Repeat: Hemos visitado el museo.
In this case, hemos is the conjugation of the auxiliary verb haber in the present tense, and visitado is the past participle of the verb visitar (to visit).
Remember, the past participle changes based on the gender and number of the subject when using the perfect tense.
Now, let's explore different expressions of past time:
Ayer
Yesterday
Repeat: Ayer
Hace dos días
Two days ago
Repeat: Hace dos días
La semana pasada
Last week
Repeat: La semana pasada
El año pasado
Last year
Repeat: El año pasado
These expressions are invaluable for situating actions in specific points in the past.
Practice using the perfect tense and past time expressions to recount past events. It's a crucial aspect of mastering Spanish conversation.
In the next episode, we will dive into the present continuous tense in Spanish.
¡Hasta luego!
See you later!