Learn Spanish- Preterite AR Verbs

Preterite AR Verbs - Part I

In this video, we will learn how to conjugate the -ar verbs into the preterite. If you have never heard the word preterite before, it is a way to tell past actions that are seen as completed.
When do you use the preterite?
First, we use it when a past action fad a definite beginning and definite end. It is finished and completed.
Second,when a state of being is in the past.
If the action and the state of being is viewed as completed – no matter how long it lasted or took to complete, the preterite will be used.
Note: the beginning and the end may not always be clearly stated.
If you are not a grammar person, just remember than in English the past tense is done by adding an -ed.
EX: yo hablo ( I talk)
 Present tense: I talk
Preterite or past tense: I talked

                                    Trabajar (To work) Present Tense

yo trabajo                                                                                 nosotros/nosotras trabajamos
(I work,, I am working)                                                         (we work, we are working)

tú trabajas                                                                                 vosotros/vosotras trabajais
(you work, you are working)                                                   (you work, you are working)
                                                                                                   informal used in Spain.

él trabaja                                                                                    ellos trabajan
(he works, he is working)                                                          (they work, they are working)

ella trabaja                                                                                  ellas trabajan
(she works, she is working)                                                         (they work, they are working)

usted trabaja                                                                                 ustedes trabajan
(you work,you are working)                                                       (you work, you are working)
formal

Note: That the beginning of the verb trabajar will be the same as in the present. The only part that will change is the ending: trabajar- trabaj- é amos aste asteis ó aron Trabajar (to work) Preterite

yo trabajé (I worked) nosotros/nosotras trabajamos (we worked)
tú trabajastes (you worked) vosotros/vosotras trabajasteis (you worked) informal used in Spain.
él trabajó (he worked) ellos trabajaron (they worked)
ella trabajó (she worked) ellas trabajaron (they worked)
usted trabajó(you worked) formal ustedes trabajaron (you worked) plural formal in Spain

Notice:
Present Tense Preterite Tense (Past)
Nosotros trabajamos = Nosotros trabajamos
(we work) (we worked)

How do we tell the difference? The context:

Hoy, nosotros trabajamos todo el día.
(Today, we work all day long.)

Ayer, nosotros trabajamos todo el día. (Yesterday, we worked all day long.

Cantar (to sing)  

                 
Present cant-                                    Preterite: cant-                     
       o            amos                        é           amos
        as          ais                           aste        asteis
        a           an                            ó            aron
        a          an                             ó            aron                
        a          an                             ó            aron

bailar (to dance)

bail-                                    Preterite: bail-

 -o          amos                    é                 amos
 as          ais                        aste             asteis
 a           an                          ó                aron