¡Hola, amigos! In this post, I want to talk about a topic that often comes up in my lessons. Spanish has several past tenses, and two of them can be particularly confusing—not just because of how they’re used, but also because of their names: pasado simple (simple past, although most experts prefer calling it pretérito or pretérito perfecto simple, among other names) and pasado imperfecto (imperfect past, usually known as pretérito imperfecto).
If you’d like to review or learn more about these tenses, check out these posts:
Today, however, I want to focus on something more specific: certain verbs where the tense not only changes the aspect (the “duration” or completeness of the action) but also shifts the nuance of the meaning. In other words, the verbs generally keep their core meaning, but there’s a subtle difference in how that meaning is expressed depending on which past tense is used. This difference becomes clearer when we translate these verbs into English. Let’s explore a few examples.
TIP: The examples below don’t represent strict rules but rather reflect how native speakers have gradually assigned different nuances to these verbs depending on the tense. In everyday use, it’s not unusual to find these very same verbs used in one tense but carrying the nuance typically associated with the other.
1. CONOCER
PASADO SIMPLE
In the pasado simple, conocer usually means meeting someone for the first time:
I met María [for the first time] in 2010.
Yo conocí a María en 2010.
PASADO IMPERFECTO
In the pasado imperfecto, conocer usually mean being familiar with someone over a period of time, such as:
I knew María [was familiar with, had come to know her] and I was sure she would help me.
Yo conocía a María y estaba seguro de que me ayudaría.
2. SABER
PASADO SIMPLE
In the pasado simple, saber usually means to suddenly learn or find out something:
John was playing better than ever. Suddenly, I knew [found out, learned, realized, discovered, became aware] we were going to win.
John estaba jugando mejor que nunca. De repente, supe que ganaríamos.
PASADO IMPERFECTO
In the pasado imperfecto, saber usually means to be familiar with something over a period of time:
We had been training hard, and I knew [had ongoing knowledge, was aware, understood, was familiar] we were going to play well.
Habíamos estado entrenando duro, y sabía que íbamos a jugar bien.
3. PODER
Pasado simple
In the pasado simple, poder usually means to manage to do something at a specific moment:
I thought it would be impossible to run for half an hour, but that day I could [managed to] do it.
Pensé que sería imposible correr media hora, pero ese día pude hacerlo.
PASADO IMPERFECTO
In the pasado imperfecto, poder usually means to have an ongoing ability over a period of time, such as:
In my youth, I was able [I used to have the ability] to run for an hour.
En mi juventud, Yo podía correr durante una hora.
4. QUERER
simple
In the pasado simple, querer usually conveys making an attempt or effort to do something, often implying that the action was tried but may not have succeeded:
Juana wanted [tried, made an attempt, set out, endeavored, aimed] to help me, but it was impossible.
Juana quiso ayudarme, pero fue imposible.
Pasado imperfecto
In the pasado imperfecto, querer usually expresses a general or ongoing desire in the past, without focusing on whether the desire was fulfilled:
Juana wanted [hoped, wished, longed] to be happy, but the world wouldn’t let her.
Juana quería ser feliz, pero el mundo no la dejaba.
And now, let’s play this game so you become an expert!
