Spanish · B1 · Everyday language
Remembering Your Early Days in Spanish
Reflect on precious memories from your child's early days using the Spanish Preterite tense (Pretérito Indefinido) to describe completed past actions and specific events.
What you'll learn
- Use regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs in the Preterite tense.
- Describe specific moments and routines from the baby's infancy.
- Distinguish between actions performed by the speaker (yo) and others (tú, nosotros, ellos).
Spanish phrases for remembering your early days
Vivimos cerca de un parque pequeño cuando naciste.
We lived near a small park when you were born.
'Vivimos' is the preterite form of 'vivir'. 'Naciste' is from 'nacer'.
Trabajé desde casa durante tu primer invierno.
I worked from home during your first winter.
'Trabajé' uses the regular -é ending for 'yo' in -ar verbs.
Esperaste pacientemente mientras preparé tu baño.
You waited patiently while I prepared your bath.
'Esperaste' (you waited) and 'preparé' (I prepared) are both regular -ar preterite forms.
Los abuelos esperaron fuera durante tu revisión.
Grandma and Grandpa waited outside during your check-up.
'Esperaron' is the 'they' form (ellos/ellas) for -ar verbs.
Jugaste con un libro de tela en tu manta.
You played with a cloth book on your mat.
'Jugaste' comes from 'jugar' (to play).
Sonreí cada vez que buscaste mi mano.
I smiled whenever you reached for my hand.
'Sonreí' is the preterite of 'sonreír'; 'buscaste' is the preterite of 'buscar'.
Nos reímos cuando nos salpicaste en la bañera.
We laughed when you splashed us in the bath.
'Nos reímos' is reflexive (reírse); 'salpicaste' is the 'tú' form of 'salpicar'.
Tus abuelos nos visitaron cada domingo.
Your grandparents visited us every Sunday.
'Visitaron' indicates a completed action in the past.
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
Revisión
Check-up / medical review
Commonly used for routine pediatric visits.
Manta
Mat / Blanket
In this context, it refers to the baby's play mat.
Salpicar
To splash
A regular -ar verb in most forms, though the 'yo' form changes to 'salpiqué'.
Libro de tela
Cloth book
Specifically refers to soft books made for infants.
Regular Preterite (Indefinido) Endings
The Preterite is used for actions completed at a specific time in the past. Regular -ar verbs use one set of endings, while -er and -ir verbs share a different set.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ar verbs (Trabajar) | -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron | Trabajé (I worked), Trabajaste (You worked) |
| -er/-ir verbs (Vivir) | -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron | Viví (I lived), Viviste (You lived) |
Verbs like 'Esperar' and 'Trabajar'
In Spanish, these regular -ar verbs follow the standard pattern without needing extra vowels between the stem and the ending, unlike some other languages.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Esperar (to wait) | Esper- + ending | Esperaste (You waited) |
| Trabajar (to work) | Trabaj- + ending | Trabajaron (They worked) |
More examples
¿Recuerdas cuando vivíamos en esa casa?
Do you remember when we lived in that house?
Uses imperfect 'vivíamos' for background description.
Ayer preparé una cena especial.
Yesterday I prepared a special dinner.
Uses preterite 'preparé' for a specific completed event.