Spanish · B1 · Everyday language
The Missing Lunchbox in Spanish
Practice narrating a simple story about finding a missing lunchbox. This guide focuses on using the Pretérito Indefinido (Simple Past) in Spanish to describe sequential actions that happened at school.
What you'll learn
- Use the Pretérito Indefinido to narrate past events
- Learn school-related vocabulary like 'lonchera' and 'armario'
- Practice irregular past tense forms for common verbs like 'ir', 'dar', and 'ver'
Spanish phrases for the missing lunchbox
Ayer, fui a tu salón de clases.
Yesterday, I went to your classroom.
'Fui' is the irregular past tense of 'ir' (to go).
Tu profesor vino a la puerta.
Your teacher came to the door.
'Vino' comes from the irregular verb 'venir' (to come).
Vi tu mochila al lado del armario.
I saw your school bag beside the cupboard.
'Vi' is the first-person past tense of 'ver' (to see).
Tu amigo encontró una lonchera debajo del banco.
Your friend found a lunchbox under the bench.
'Encontró' is the third-person singular of 'encontrar'.
El profesor me dio la lonchera.
The teacher gave me the lunchbox.
'Dio' is the irregular past tense of 'dar' (to give).
La llevé a casa para ti.
I took it home for you.
'Llevé' is the past tense of 'llevar' (to take/carry).
En casa, viste el nombre en la tapa.
At home, you saw the name on the lid.
'Viste' is the second-person (tú) form of 'ver'.
Al final, tu lonchera volvió a tu mochila.
In the end, your lunchbox went back into your school bag.
'Volvió' means returned or went back.
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
lonchera
lunchbox
Commonly used in Latin America; 'fiambrera' is more common in Spain.
armario
cupboard / cabinet
Can also mean 'closet' depending on context.
tapa
lid / cover
In a culinary context, this also refers to small appetizers.
The Pretérito Indefinido (Past Tense)
To tell a story in the past, Spanish uses the Pretérito Indefinido for completed actions. Many common verbs are irregular in this tense.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ir (to go) | fui / fue | Yo fui a la escuela. |
| ver (to see) | vi / vio | Él vio el gato. |
| dar (to give) | di / dio | Ella me dio el pan. |
| venir (to come) | vine / vino | El perro vino aquí. |
More examples
Ayer encontré mi lápiz.
Yesterday I found my pencil.
Uses the -é ending for 'yo' form of AR verbs.
El niño tomó su jugo.
The boy took his juice.
Tomar can mean 'to take' or 'to drink'.