Spanish · B1 · Everyday language
What I thought and knew in Spanish
In this guide, we'll learn how to talk about things we thought were true in the past and how we discovered new information. We use specific past tense forms (Pretérito Indefinido) to describe the moment we 'found out' something or when we 'brought' something to a specific place.
What you'll learn
- Express past assumptions using the verb 'pensar'
- Talk about finding out information using the irregular verb 'saber'
- Describe actions of bringing things using the irregular verb 'traer'
Spanish phrases for what i thought and knew
Pensé que la respuesta era fácil.
I thought the answer was easy.
'Pensé' is the first-person past form of 'pensar'.
Pensaste que hoy era viernes.
You thought today was Friday.
'Pensaste' is the 'you' (tú) form of 'pensar'.
Pensamos que el ruido venía de fuera.
We thought the noise came from outside.
'Pensamos' is the same in present and past for 'we'.
Supe la respuesta, pero no estaba seguro.
I knew the answer, but I was unsure.
In the past tense, 'supe' often implies 'I found out' or 'I realized'.
Ella supo exactamente qué significaba el cartel.
She knew exactly what the sign meant.
'Supo' is the he/she form of 'saber'.
¿Supiste que la puerta estaba abierta?
Did you know that the door was open?
A common way to ask if someone noticed a specific fact.
Él trajo la hoja equivocada por error.
He brought the wrong sheet by mistake.
'Trajo' is the irregular past form of 'traer'.
Trajimos una copia extra para ti.
We brought an extra copy for you.
'Trajimos' uses the irregular 'j' stem for the 'we' form.
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
la respuesta
the answer
Commonly used in school contexts.
el ruido
the noise
Used for any sound, especially unexpected ones.
por error
by mistake
A very common phrase for accidents.
la hoja
the sheet / the leaf
In this context, it refers to a piece of paper.
Irregular Past Stems: Saber and Traer
While 'pensar' follows regular -ar patterns, 'saber' and 'traer' change their stems completely in the past (Pretérito). Saber becomes 'sup-' and traer becomes 'traj-'.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I (Yo) | Supe / Traje | Yo traje el pastel. (I brought the cake.) |
| You (Tú) | Supiste / Trajiste | ¿Supiste la noticia? (Did you find out the news?) |
| He/She (Él/Ella) | Supo / Trajo | Ella trajo su juguete. (She brought her toy.) |
| We (Nosotros) | Supimos / Trajimos | Trajimos las llaves. (We brought the keys.) |
More examples
Al principio, pensé que era un gato.
At first, I thought it was a cat.
Useful for explaining a mistaken assumption.
Mi hermano trajo galletas para todos.
My brother brought cookies for everyone.
A simple way to use 'trajo' in daily life.
¡Por fin supe la verdad!
I finally found out the truth!
Shows the moment of discovery.