Spanish · B1 · Everyday language
A little mystery to tell in Spanish
This guide focuses on telling a simple story using the Pretérito Indefinido (Simple Past) in Spanish. Narrating a mystery involves sequencing actions that happened at a specific point in time, using common lexical verbs like going, seeing, and finding.
What you'll learn
- Narrate a sequence of past events using the Pretérito Indefinido.
- Correctly conjugate irregular past tense verbs such as 'ir', 'dar', and 'ver'.
- Use descriptive vocabulary to set a scene and describe discoveries.
Spanish phrases for a little mystery to tell
El misterio empezó así: fui al sótano.
The mystery began like this: I went into the cellar.
'Empezó' is the past of 'empezar'. 'Fui' is the irregular past of 'ir' (to go).
Mi hermano vino un momento después.
My brother came down a moment later.
'Vino' is the irregular past tense of 'venir' (to come).
Vimos una huella diminuta al lado de la puerta.
We saw a tiny footprint beside the door.
'Vimos' is the past tense of 'ver'. Use 'huella' for footprint or track.
Encontré una pluma debajo de una caja vacía.
I found a feather beneath an empty box.
'Encontré' is the regular past tense of 'encontrar'.
Mi hermano me dio su linterna.
My brother gave me his torch.
'Dio' is the irregular past tense of 'dar' (to give).
Miré la huella más de cerca.
I took a closer look at the footprint.
'Miré' is the past tense of 'mirar' (to look). 'De cerca' means closely.
Entonces un pajarito salió del rincón.
Then a little bird came out of the corner.
'Salió' is the past tense of 'salir' (to leave/come out).
El pájaro encontró el camino de vuelta afuera.
The bird found its way back outside.
'De vuelta' translates to 'back' in the context of returning.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Sótano
Cellar / Basement
A common setting for stories or mysteries.
Huella
Footprint
Can refer to a physical footprint or a metaphorical trace.
Linterna
Flashlight / Torch
Used in most Spanish-speaking countries for a portable light.
Rincón
Corner
Refers to an inside corner (like in a room), as opposed to 'esquina' (outside corner).
The Narrative Past (Pretérito Indefinido)
To tell a story in Spanish, we use the Pretérito Indefinido for completed actions in the past. Many common narrative verbs are irregular.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ir (to go) | fui / fue | Yo fui al sótano. (I went to the cellar.) |
| Venir (to come) | vine / vino | Él vino después. (He came later.) |
| Ver (to see) | vi / vio | Yo vi algo extraño. (I saw something strange.) |
| Dar (to give) | di / dio | Él me dio la luz. (He gave me the light.) |
More examples
¿Qué viste en el rincón?
What did you see in the corner?
Using 'viste' (you saw) to ask about the story.
Él tomó la pluma con cuidado.
He took the feather carefully.
Using 'tomó' (took) for a physical action in the story.
La caja estaba vacía.
The box was empty.
We use 'estaba' (imperfect) here because it describes a state rather than a completed action.