What's the difference between the Imperfecto and Indefinitivo tenses?

Both Imperfecto and Indefinitivo are past tenses.

Imperfecto is a tense used to describe states, emotions, circumstances, settings - it implies that the action has not been finite in the past. For example: It was 7 o'clock = Eran las siete. 

Indefinitivo on the other hand, is a tense used to describe finite actions in the past, they were concluded in the past. This tense does not imply any duration of the action at hand in the past. For example: At 7 pm I finally arrived home = A las siete por la tarde por fin llegué a casa. 

KJ
Answered by Karolina J. Spanish tutor

3753 Views

See similar Spanish IB tutors

Related Spanish IB answers

All answers ▸

Cuando se utiliza el subjuntivo presente?


. “¿Qué adelanto científico del futuro, por ejemplo la manipulación genética, la exploración espacial o la creación de nuevas fuentas de energía, mejorará más la condición humana?” Discuta.


How can I finish a formal letter in Spanish?


When do I use Pretérito imperfecto and when do I use Pretérito indefinido?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning