Spanish · B1 · Everyday language
The Missing Sketchbook in Spanish
Learn how to tell a short, mystery-themed story using the Pretérito Indefinido (Past Simple) in Spanish to describe specific actions that happened at a point in time.
What you'll learn
- Narrate past events in a logical sequence
- Use irregular preterite forms like 'fue', 'vino', and 'dio'
- Describe everyday mysteries and their resolutions
Spanish phrases for the missing sketchbook
Ayer, tu hermano fue al centro juvenil.
Yesterday, your brother went to the youth centre.
'Fue' is the past tense of 'ir' (to go).
Se llevó su cuaderno de dibujo.
He took his sketchbook with him.
'Llevarse' is used for taking something along.
En la entrada, vio a un amigo de su club de arte.
At the entrance, he saw a friend from his art club.
Don't forget the 'a' before 'un amigo' (the personal 'a').
Su amigo le dio un lápiz nuevo.
His friend gave him a new pencil.
'Le dio' means 'he/she gave to him/her'.
Más tarde, vino a casa sin el cuaderno.
Later, he came home without the sketchbook.
'Vino' is the irregular past tense of 'venir' (to come).
Fui de nuevo al centro juvenil.
I went back to the youth centre.
'Fui' is the first-person past tense of 'ir'.
Encontré el cuaderno debajo de una silla.
I found the sketchbook under a chair.
'Encontré' describes a completed action in the past.
En la cena, se lo devolví a tu hermano.
At dinner, I gave it back to your brother.
'Devolver' is used specifically for giving something back/returning it.
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
Cuaderno de dibujo
Sketchbook
Literally 'notebook of drawing'.
Centro juvenil
Youth centre
A common place for extracurricular activities.
Lápiz
Pencil
Plural form is 'lápices'.
Entrada
Entrance
Can also mean 'ticket' in other contexts.
Irregular Preterite Verbs (Singular)
Many common Spanish verbs have unique stems in the past tense (Indefinido) that don't follow regular rules.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ir (to go) | Yo fui / Él fue | Él fue al club. |
| Venir (to come) | Yo vine / Él vino | Él vino tarde. |
| Ver (to see) | Yo vi / Él vio | Vio a su amigo. |
| Dar (to give) | Yo di / Él dio | Le dio el lápiz. |
More examples
¿Viste mi cuaderno?
Did you see my notebook?
Using the 'tú' form of 'ver'.
No encontré nada.
I didn't find anything.
A common negative construction.
Él tomó el autobús.
He took the bus.
'Tomar' is another way to say 'took'.