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Video lesson

Imperfecto con indefinido

Duration: 5:28 Published: 20 Jun 2017

When we tell a story in the past we need two tenses at once. This lesson explains how the imperfect and the indefinido work together.

Learn the uses of this verb tense with this free Spanish lesson brought to you by Tilde Madrid Spanish school in Madrid

Key points

  • The imperfect describes the background: situations, descriptions and actions in progress. Llovía y hacía frío.
  • The indefinido tells the completed events that move the story forward: Salí de casa y cogí un taxi.
  • Together they express an action in progress interrupted by another: Estaba en clase cuando sonó el teléfono.
  • Time markers help: un día, de repente (indefinido); siempre, normalmente, mientras (imperfect).

Frequent doubts

Why estaba en clase cuando sonó el teléfono?

Estaba describes the situation at that moment (imperfect); sonó is the event that interrupts it (indefinido).

Can the same verb go in both tenses?

Yes, with a different meaning: Conocía a Ana (I already knew her) / Conocí a Ana en 2010 (I met her in 2010).

Is there an easy trick to choose?

Think of a film: the imperfect is the scenery and the indefinido is the action. Ask yourself whether you are describing the scene or telling what happened.

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