Using the Preterite for Completed Actions

Level 2

Galician uses one form, the simple preterite, for I ate and I have eaten: Hoxe comín cedo (I ate early today), Xa rematei (I have already finished).

How It Works

One form for two English tenses: English chooses between I ate and I have eaten. Galician uses the preterite for both: Onte comín peixe (I ate fish yesterday) and Xa comín (I have already eaten).

Typical time words: hoxe (today), xa (already), aínda non (not yet), algunha vez (ever) and nunca (never) all go with the preterite. See xa and aínda.

No haber + participle: a form like he rematado does not exist in Galician. It comes from Spanish.

Ter + participle is different: Teño visto esa película means I have seen that film several times. It describes a repeated action up to now, not a single finished one. See ter + participle.

Related past forms: for something that happened a moment ago, use acabar de. For an event before another past event, use the one-word antepretérito: o tren xa saíra (the train had already left). For habits and background in the past, use the copretérito; see preterite versus imperfect.

Examples (6)

  1. Hoxe comín cedo.

    I ate early today.

    Word by Word: Today ate-I early.

    English could also say I have eaten early today; Galician uses the preterite either way.

  2. Xa rematei os deberes.

    I have already finished my homework.

    Word by Word: Already finished-I the homework.

    xa (already) goes with the simple preterite.

  3. Nunca estiven en Roma.

    I have never been to Rome.

    Word by Word: Never was-I in Rome.

    A life experience still uses the preterite.

  4. Estiveches algunha vez en Santiago?

    Have you ever been to Santiago?

    Word by Word: Were-you some time in Santiago?

    algunha vez means ever.

  5. Aínda non chegou o correo.

    The mail has not arrived yet.

    Word by Word: Still not arrived the mail.

    aínda non means not yet.

  6. Onte choveu toda a tarde.

    It rained all afternoon yesterday.

    Word by Word: Yesterday rained all the afternoon.

    A finished event at a past time: the same form.

Common Mistakes

  • Building a Spanish-style perfect with haber.

    Xa he rematado.
    Xa rematei.

    Galician has no haber + participle perfect. The simple preterite says I have finished.

  • Using ter + participle for a single finished action.

    Teño visto esa película.
    Vin esa película.

    To say you saw the film once, use the preterite. Teño visto is correct Galician, but it means you have seen it several times.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Using the Preterite for Completed ActionsLevel 2

Learn This First

The preterite presents completed events, including many uses translated with an English perfect.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.