Preterite or Imperfect
What are the two past tenses in Spanish called?
Imperfect and Preterite
ayer
yesterday
What is the yo form of caminar in the imperfect tense?
caminaba
el lunes
on Monday
What is the official currency?
What are Costa Rican tamales wrapped in?
Banana leaves
A series of completed actions or evens
Ayer me levanté, desayuné y fui a la escuela.
preterite
Yesterday I got up, ate breakfast, and went to school.
muchas veces
many times
Julia y yo ______________ coca colas todos los días. (beber)
bebíamos
una vez
one time
What are the two main ingredients for gallo pinto and when it is served?
Arroz y frijoles
In what year did Costa Rica gain independence from Spain?
1821
Past activity in progress, past, on-going actions
Mi hermano dormía.
Imperfect
My brother was sleeping.
anteayer
day before yesterday
conjugate escribir
escribía
escribías
escribía
escribíamos
escribían
What is a copo?
A shaved-ice treat with syrup, powdered milk, and condensed milk.
What is a ballena and what is the beach called in the Marino Bellena National Park?
A whale and whale’s tail
Mi hermano y yo ____________________________ los deportes después de la escuela. (practicar)
practicábamos
Single events at a specific time in the past
Ayer fui al cine.
Preterite
Yesterday I went to the movies.
los lunes
every Monday
conjugate correr
corría
corrías
corría
corríamos
corrían
What is a catarata?
What does escudo (coat of arms) on the Costa Rican flag have on it that is significant?
Three volcanoes, two oceans, seven stars (the provinces), and ships representing trade and connection with the world.
Ustedes _____________________ agua con limón en el restaurante. (beber)
bebían
Setting of the scene (weather, age, time, emotions/conditions, descriptions)
Yo tenía diez años.
Imperfect
I was 10 years old.
la semana pasada
last week
Conjugate visitar
visitaba
visitabas
visitaba
visitábamos
visitaban
el sábado por la noche
Saturday night
What is the Fiesta de los Diablitos called?
Festival of the Little Devils.
Nosotros __________________ estudiantes en Hartfield Academy. (ser) *irregular verb
éramos
Past habits, past routines, repeated activities ("used to" or "would do")
Nosotros íbamos a la playa cada verano.
Imperfect
We used to go to the beach every summer.
el año pasado
last year
Conjugate ver
veía
veías
veía
veíamos
veían
de repente
suddenly
What does the bull in the fiesta represent and what is the fiesta about?
The bull represents the Spanish colonists. The festival celebrates the Boruca people's resistance and triumph over the Spanish.
María __________________ las respuestas en su cuaderno. (escribir)
escribía
An interrupting Action
Yo estudiaba cuando el teléfono sonó.
preterite
I was studying when the telephone rang.
last month
Conjugate ir
iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, iban
cada día
each day
Who was Juan Santamatia?
A poor drummer boy from Alajuela who became Costa Rica's national war hero.
Yo ________________ a Six Flags cada verano con mi familia. (ir) irregular verb
iba
Narration (what happened next?)
María llegó a la escuela, habló con sus amigos y tomó el examen.
Preterite
María arrived at school, talked with her friends, and took the test.
Each action in the narration is a completed event.
a menudo
often
Conjugate ser
era, eras, era, éramos, eran
What does every day mean in Spanish?
todos los días
What was William Walker's goal in Central America?
To develop a slave-trade empire in Central America.
Mis amigos _________________ tacos de pollo los viernes. (comer)
comían
2+ actions happening at the same time
Yo estudiaba mientras mi hermana leía.
Imperfect
I studied while my sister read.
mientras
while
What are the -er endings in the imperfect tense -
write on whiteboard
ía
ías
ía
íamos
ían
What does # de veces mean?
Number of times
Miles de veces me cepillaba los dientes.
How did Juan Sanatmaría stop William Walker's plans in Costa Rica?
He set fire to a hostel where Walker's soldiers were staying, causing heavy losses and helping defeat Walker's forces.
Los niños ________________ en la piscina durante el verano. (nadar)
nadaban
Interrupted Activity
We were eating dinner when suddenly....
Imperfect
de vez en cuando
once in a while
What are the -ar endings in the imperfect tense -
write on whiteboard
aba
abas
aba
ábamos
aban
What does hace # of years mean?
Number of years ago.
Hace cinco años él nadaba en el rio Jordan.
Who was Celia Cruz, and what is her connection to Cuba?
She was a famous Cuban salsa singer known as the "Queen of Salsa." She left Cuba for the United Statesafter the Cuban Revolution and lived in exile for the rest of her life.
Tú y yo __________________ televisión todos los sábados por la mañana. (ver) irregular verb
veíamos