Take the fastest path to fluent Spanish
El Pretérito Indefinido is preferred to talk about experiences
Although it is still used in some regions, the use of El Pretérito Perfecto when talking about general experiences in life, is rapidly decreasing in favour of El Pretérito Indefinido.
Spanish speakers in Latin America prefer to use the El Pretérito Indefinido to talk about life experiences with or without specific time references simply because in their minds, the events are over. Have a look at these examples:
El Pretérito Indefinido is the preferred tense in Latin America.
Compare this to using El Pretérito Perfecto when talking about general experiences in life, especially when asking about them. These are still grammatically correct, but no longer used as often as El Pretérito Indefinido. Here are some El Pretérito Perfecto examples:
Some common time phrases used when talking about experiences are:
-
Nunca (never)
-
Siempre (always)
-
Alguna vez (ever/at some point)
-
Tres veces (three times)
-
En mi vida (in my life)
For other uses of El Pretérito Indefinido see also When to use the perfect tense versus the simple past (Perfecto vs Indefinido)
Want to make sure your Spanish sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »
