In this new online Spanish lesson we are going to learn more about Pto. Indefinido through dates and my biography.
¡Vamos allá!
Mi vida en fechas
- En 1988 nací en España.
- En 1991 empecé el colegio.
- En 1996 comulgué.
- En 2005 terminé el colegio.
- En 2009 terminé la universidad y viajé a Siria.
- En 2011 estudié traducción.
- En 2015 viví y trabajé en la Embajada de España en Kuwait.
- En 2016 tuve a mi primer hijo.
- En 2019 tuve a mi segundo hijo.
- En 2025 tuve a mi tercer hijo.
The Spanish Past Tense: The Pretérito Indefinido
In Spanish, the pretérito indefinido is used to talk about completed actions in the past, located at a specific moment in time.
Key temporal markers:
- En + year → En 2005 terminé el colegio = In 2005 I finished school.
- Hace + amount of time → Hace 10 años viajé a Siria = 10 years ago I travelled to Syria.
- El + date → El 15 de mayo comulgué = On May 15th I did my First Communion.
Comparison with English:
- In English, we use the Past Simple (finished, went, studied, lived) with adverbs or time expressions: in 2005, 10 years ago, last year.
- In Spanish, the use of indefinido shows clearly that the action is finished and disconnected from the present.
Example:
- En 2011 estudié traducción = I studied translation in 2011 (finished, in the past).
- But if you want to connect the action with the present, Spanish uses the pretérito perfecto: He estudiado traducción = I have studied translation.
Mini Online Spanish Exercise
Now it’s your turn!
Write 5 important dates in your life using the pretérito indefinido and a time marker.
Example:
- En 2018 viajé a México.
- En 2022 conocí a mi mejor amigo/a.
Try to share your life in dates in the comments or in our learning community!
Learn Spanish online with me
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