Spanish Tense Comparison
Guide to choosing the correct tense in Spanish
Can’t tell your imperfecto from your indefinido? Wondering about the difference between presente and perfecto? Then you’ve come to the right place!
With three different moods and a lot of tenses, choosing the right tense in Spanish can be a minefield.
That’s why we’ve compared the most commonly confused tenses in Spanish. Learn when to use which tense then practise the differences in the exercises. You’ll be switching tenses like a pro in no time!
Contents
Present – Perfect
The present (el presente) and the perfect (el pretérito perfecto) connect the past and the present, however each one does so from a different perspective.
- Example:
- Vivo en Madrid.I live in Madrid.
- He vivido en Madrid toda la vida.I have lived in Madrid my whole life.
See the comparative explanation Present vs. Perfect to learn when to use each of these tenses correctly in Spanish.
Perfect – Preterite
The perfect tense (pretérito perfecto) and the preterite tense (pretérito indefinido) are both used for completed actions in Spanish. However, the perfect tense refers to a period of time that lasts until the present, while the preterite refers to an action that took place longer ago.
- Example:
- Este año he aprendido a tejer.This year I learnt how to knit
- El año pasado aprendí a restaurar muebles.Las year, I learnt how to restore furniture.
See the comparative explanation Perfect vs. Preterite Tense to learn when to use each of these tenses correctly in Spanish.
Imperfect – Preterite
The imperfect (pretérito imperfecto) and the preterite (pretérito indefinido) both refer to actions that took place further back in the past. While the preterite simply indicates that the action took place, the imperfect emphasises the regularity or the progression of the action.
- Example:
- En mi época, los niños aprendían español cantando.In my day, children learnt Spanish by singing.
- Yo aprendí español cantando a los 7 años.I learnt Spanish by singing when I was 7 years old.
See the comparative explanation Imperfect vs. Preterite Tense to learn when to use each of these tenses correctly in Spanish.
Preterite – Past Perfect
Both the preterite (el pretérito indefinido) and the past perfect (el pluscuamperfecto) express past actions. The difference is their point of reference; the preterite is the standard past tense, whereas the past perfect is the ‘past of the past’.
- Example:
- El miércoles pasado fuimos al cine.We went to the cinema last Wednesday.
- Por suerte, habíamos reservado las entradas por Internet.Luckily, we had booked the tickets online.
See the comparative explanation Preterite vs. Past Perfect to learn when to use each of these tenses correctly in Spanish.
Future – Conditional
The future tense (el futuro simple) and the conditional tense (el condicional simple) both express future actions. However, the future tense refers to the concrete whereas the conditional refers to the hypothetical.
- Example:
- —Mañana llevaré al gato al veterinario.Tomorrow I’m taking the cat to the vet.
- —Te acompañaría, pero no tengo tiempo.I would come with you, but I don’t have time.
- —No pasa nada, probablemente me acompañará Leandro.No problem, Leandro will probably come with me.
- —Estaría genial. Te llevaría en coche.That would be great. He would give you a lift.
See the comparative explanation Future Tense vs. Conditional Tense to learn when to use each of these tenses correctly in Spanish.
Indicative – Subjunctive
Spanish verbs can be expressed in the indicative mood (el indicativo) or the subjunctive mood (el subjuntivo). The indicative is the default form, whereas the subjunctive allows the speaker to express subjectivity, hypothesis or uncertainty.
- Example:
- Raúl siempre llega pronto.Raúl is always early.
- Ojalá Raúl llegue pronto.Hopefully Raúl will be here soon.
See the comparative explanation Indicative vs. Subjunctive to learn when to use each of these moods correctly in Spanish.
Overview of all Tenses
This overview of all tenses shows you all the verb tenses that belong to the indicative mood in Spanish in a single table. See all the indicative conjugations in one place and review the rules for using each verb tense.
