Just when you thought you'd memorized the meanings of a bunch of infinitive verbs (their "to" forms, like saber (to know), poder (to be able), etc.), you find out that there are some verbs that actually change meanings from one tense to another! Verbs that mean one thing in tenses like the Spanish present indicative tense and the imperfect tense in Spanish but change meaning in the Spanish preterite tense will be the focus of today's lesson.
In a nutshell, there are two "main" past tenses in Spanish: the imperfect tense in Spanish, which is used to describe past actions that were ongoing, in progress, or interrupted, and the Spanish preterite tense, which describes completed past actions. As we mentioned, as the meaning of some Spanish verbs actually changes in the preterite tense in Spanish, let's take a look at some examples of several of these verbs and their translations in the present, the imperfect, and, finally, the preterite, via examples from Yabla Spanish's video library.
Let's take a look at some examples of the Spanish verb conocer in the present and imperfect tenses:
Present Tense:
porque conozco un sitio muy bueno y podemos ir.
because I know a very good place and we can go.
Caption 67, Cleer Entrevista a Giluancar
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Imperfect Tense:
Pablo Escobar conocía La Catedral como la palma de la mano,
Pablo Escobar knew La Cathedral like the back of his hand
Caption 42, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar Capítulo 2 - Part 6
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In both the Spanish present indicative and the imperfect tense, the Spanish verb conocer means "to know" in the sense of "being familiar with." However, in the preterite tense, the Spanish verb conocer has a different meaning. Let's take a look:
Preterite Tense:
Cuando yo conocí a mi esposa, hace nueve años, la primera cosa yo le dije a ella, te... tú vas a ser la mamá de mis hijas.
When I met my wife, nine years ago, the first thing I said to her, you... you are going to be the mom of my daughters.
Captions 52-54, La Sub30 Familias - Part 4
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As you can see in this example, as the preterite tense in Spanish limits an action to a specific moment in time, the meaning of the Spanish verb conocer changes to "to meet" in the Spanish preterite tense.
The Spanish verb poder means "to be able," in the sense of "can" in the present or "could" in the past. Let's see some examples:
Present Tense:
Detrás de mí podemos observar la ciudad antigua
Behind me, we can observe the old city
Caption 11, Ciudad de Panamá Denisse introduce la ciudad
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Imperfect Tense:
Yo pensé que podía saltar muy alto.
I thought I could jump really high.
Caption 14, Guillermina y Candelario Una Amiga muy Presumida - Part 2
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So, how does the meaning of the Spanish verb poder transform in the preterite?
Preterite Tense:
Es que no entiendo cómo pudo entrar aquí.
It's just that I don't understand how he managed to get in here.
Caption 20, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 2 - Part 8
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Although "It's just that I don't understand how he was able to get in here" could also be a viable translation, in some contexts, this English rendition would not make it clear whether someone actually did something or merely had the ability to do so. Hence, the important thing to remember when the Spanish verb poder is conjugated in the Spanish preterite tense is that it ceases to describe merely the potential for something to happen and states that it actually did. "To manage" (to do something) is thus a common translation for the Spanish verb poder in the preterite tense that makes this distinction clear.
The meaning of no poder in both the present and imperfect tenses in Spanish is pretty straightforward: "to not be able to," in other words, "can't" in the present and "couldn't" in the (imperfect) past:
Present Tense:
¿Cómo que no pueden hacer nada? ¿Cómo que no pueden hacer nada más?
What do you mean you can't do anything? What do you mean you can't do anything else?
Caption 17, Yago 3 La foto - Part 2
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Imperfect Tense:
Y no podía estudiar.
And I couldn't study.
Caption 1, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 5 - Part 3
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So, what about the preterite? If we know that the preterite form of the Spanish verb poder means "to manage to" do something, it follows that the preterite form of no poder can mean "to not manage to," or, better yet, "to fail to" to do something.
Preterite Tense:
Si usted no pudo controlar su matrimonio ¿cómo va a controlar y dirigir y manejar el interés público?
If you failed to control your marriage, how are you going to control and direct and manage public interest?
Captions 58-59, Muñeca Brava 43 La reunión - Part 3
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While we might alternatively translate "si usted no pudo controlar su matrimonio" as "you couldn't control your marriage" or "you weren't able to control your marriage," the important thing to remember is that the verb poder in the preterite means that something in the past was attempted but did not come to fruition.
The Spanish verb saber typically means "to know" (in the sense of facts or information) in the present, imperfect, etc.:
Present Tense:
No es información nueva, y ellas lo saben.
It's not new information, and they know it.
Caption 7, Clase Aula Azul Información con subjuntivo e indicativo - Part 3
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Imperfect Tense:
Sí. Si algo sabíamos era que la plata no crece en los árboles.
Yes. If we knew anything, it was that money didn't grow on trees.
Caption 28, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 10 - Part 2
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However, because the preterite tense in Spanish narrows the timeline of such "knowing" down to a specific moment, the meaning of the Spanish verb saber transforms, in the preterite tense, from "to know" to "to find out":
Preterite Tense:
A tal punto que yo me alegré mucho, mucho, cuando supe que ibas a pasar veinticinco años en la cárcel.
To the point that I was very happy, very, when I found out you were going to spend twenty-five years in prison.
Captions 56-57, Yago 14 La peruana - Part 1
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The verb tener in Spanish means "to have" in most tenses, as in the following excerpts:
Present Tense:
Todas las estaciones tienen sus ventajas.
All of the seasons have their advantages.
Caption 42, Clara explica El tiempo - Part 2
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Imperfect Tense:
Tenía una casa pues, amueblada de cuatrocientos metros
I had a, well, furnished, four-hundred meter house,
Caption 79, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 8
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And, although the meaning of the Spanish verb tener doesn't always change in the preterite, it sometimes takes on the meaning of "to receive" or "to get," as in the case of: Tuve una carta (I got a letter). Let's look at an additional example:
Preterite Tense:
Y bueno, ahí tuve otras proposiciones, que no eran tampoco un sueño, pero eran mucho más interesantes que lo que tenía en Cuba,
And well, there, I got other proposals, which weren't a dream either, but they were much more interesting than what I had in Cuba,
Captions 49-51, Orishas Entrevista Canal Plus
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6. Querer (to want)
The verb querer in Spanish most often means "to want." Let's see it in action:
Present Tense:
Amigos de Yabla, hoy los queremos invitar a aprender español
Friends of Yabla, today we want to invite you to learn Spanish
Captions 1-2, El Hatillo, Caracas, Venezuela El cuatro
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Imperfect Tense:
Yo de niña pensaba que quería ser bailarina. ¿Qué pensabas tú?
As a little girl I thought that I wanted to be a dancer. What did you think?
Caption 20, Conjugación El verbo 'pensar'
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In the preterite tense, however, the Spanish verb querer "puts a limit" on this past "wanting" and becomes a manner of saying that someone "tried" to do something:
Preterite Tense:
Yo quise ser su amiga, pero no me dejó.
I tried to be his friend, but he didn't let me.
Caption 38, Guillermina y Candelario Un marciano en la playa - Part 1
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In our first two tenses, the Spanish verb phrase no querer means exactly what it sounds like: "to not want." Let's examine some clips that demonstrate this construction in the present and imperfect:
Present Tense:
Es que yo no quiero vivir en el centro.
The thing is, I don't want to live in the downtown area.
Caption 71, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y persona ideal
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Imperfect Tense:
y en un principio le dije que no quería tener un gato en casa.
and at first, I told her I didn't want to have a cat in my home.
Caption 32, Fermín y los gatos Mi gata Poeska
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The preterite form of the Spanish verb querer, on the other hand, means that someone not only "didn't want" to do something at a specific point in the past, they actually didn't (or "wouldn't"):
mi otra hermana, Zoraida Zárraga, mi sobrino, Harold Blanco, que no quisieron presentarse por temor a cámara.
my other sister, Zoraida Zarraga, my nephew, Harold Blanco, who refused to appear due to camera shyness.
Captions 11-13, Coro, Venezuela Relaciones familiares
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So, we see that the meaning of the verb no querer in Spanish can sometimes become to "to refuse" in the preterite tense.
We hope that this lesson has edified you regarding the alternative meanings of some Spanish verbs when they are conjugated in the preterite tense. Can you think of any we missed? Don't forget to tell us with your suggestions and comments.
How well do you know the Spanish alphabet? Do you know how many letters are in the Spanish alphabet? What about the number of consonants and vowels that are part of it? This lesson answers these questions and provides a series of audio clips that will help you to learn the letters and improve the pronunciation of the Spanish alphabet. Let's take a look.
Believe it or not, there are actually two words in Spanish that we use to talk about the alphabet. While the most literal translation would be the word alfabeto, you can also use the word abecedario when referring to the Spanish alphabet. In fact, and according to the Real Academia Española (RAE), these two words are synonyms.
There are 27 letters in the Spanish alphabet. But do you know how many of those letters are consonants and how many vowels are in the Spanish alphabet? The answer is very simple. In the Spanish alphabet there are 22 consonants and 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u). Let’s go over all the Spanish alphabet letters with the following 27 words:
A as in agua (water)
¿También tienes agua?
Do you have water too?
Caption 35, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos
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B as in burro (donkey)
El burro es un animal ideal para este tipo de actividades.
The donkey is an ideal animal for this kind of activity.
Caption 71, Rosa - Yoga con burros
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C as in coche (car)
Hoy, voy en coche porque hace mucho frío.
Today, I'm going by car because it's very cold.
Caption 16, Ariana - Cena especial
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D as in difícil (difficult)
Es muy difícil. -Muy complicado.
It's very difficult. -Very complicated.
Caption 31, Blanca y Mariona - Planificación de cena
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E as in ellos (they)
Ellos se llevan muy bien.
They get along very well.
Caption 41, El Aula Azul - Mis Primos
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F as in fácil (easy)
Basta, es muy fácil.
Enough, it's very easy.
Caption 72, Español para principiantes - Los números del 1 al 100
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G as in gente (people)
Barcelona se llena de gente.
Barcelona fills up with people.
Caption 17, Blanca - Sobre la ciudad de Barcelona
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H as in hotel (hotel)
El hotel también cuenta con un bar.
The hotel also has a bar.
Caption 73, Cleer y Lida - Recepción de hotel
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I as in iglesia (church)
Esta iglesia fue construida en mil seiscientos ochenta y uno.
This church was built in sixteen eighty one.
Caption 14, Viajando con Carlos - Popayán - Colombia
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J as in jamón (ham)
Fíjate: jamón, Javier.
Check it out: ham, Javier.
Caption 27, Fundamentos del Español - 10 - La Pronunciación
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K as in kilo (kilo)
Reciclando un kilo de vidrio...
[By] recycling a kilo of glass...
Caption 70, 3R - Campaña de reciclaje - Part 1
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L as in lago (lake)
Hay un lago.
There is a lake.
Caption 11, Natalia de Ecuador - Los adverbios de orden
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M as in mercado (market)
...y están presentes en el mercado internacional.
...and are present in the international market.
Caption 73, Europa Abierta - Champagne en Andalucía
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N as in nunca (never)
Nadie, nada, nunca.
Nobody, nothing, never.
Caption 21, Fundamentos del Español - 5 - La Negación
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Ñ as in the middle of the word niño (boy)
La frase, el niño quiere el juguete.
The sentence, "the boy wants the toy."
Caption 17, Raquel - Diminutivos y aumentativos
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O as in objeto (object)
...y "tendedero" es un objeto para la ropa
...and "tendedero" is an object for clothes
Caption 27, Karla e Isabel - Palabras
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P as in parque (park)
Aquí en Parque Fundidora.
Here in Fundidora Park.
Caption 38, Paseando con Karen - Sitios Culturales en Parque Fundidora
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Q as in queso (cheese)
Un vaso de leche y queso.
A glass of milk and cheese.
Caption 16, Recetas de Clara - Los aborrajados
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R as in rápidamente (quickly)
Vamos a ver rápidamente una frase.
We are going to look quickly at a phrase.
Caption 2, Lecciones con Carolina - Esta noche vs anoche
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S as in sal (salt)
Muchos mercaderes venían a recoger la sal.
Many merchants came to get the salt.
Caption 14, Rosa - Fuente de Piedra
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T as in trabajo (job)
¿Qué trabajo es?
What job is it?
Caption 23, Sofy y Caro - Entrevistar para un trabajo
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U as in universidad (university)
¿La biblioteca de la universidad?
The university library?
Caption 21, Español para principiantes - Hablando de ubicaciones
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V as in viento (wind)
...y un viento muy fuerte nos arrastró a mar abierto.
...and a very strong wind dragged us out to the open sea.
Caption 21, Guillermina y Candelario - La Isla de las Serpientes
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W as in wifi (wifi)
Tenemos también wifi y hay ordenadores disponibles.
We also have wifi and there are computers available.
Caption 20, El Aula Azul - Cursos y actividades de la escuela
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X as in xilófono (xylophone)
Entonces, había una persona contando un cuento y él tocando un xilófono.
So, there was a person telling a story and he [was] playing a xylophone.
Caption 28, La Sub30 - Familias - Part 4
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Y as in yuca (yucca)
Aquí tenemos la yuca.
Here we have the yucca.
Caption 7, Recetas de cocina - Carimañolas
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Z as in zona (area)
Es la primera vez que vengo a esta zona de la ciudad.
It's the first time I've come to this area of the city.
Caption 8, Karla e Isabel - Alquilar una habitación
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If you want to improve your pronunciation of the Spanish alphabet, please take a look at the following audio clips where Marta, one of our Spanish teachers, will teach you how to properly pronounce the Spanis alphabet letters:
A, be, ce, de, e,
A, b, c, d, e,
Caption 19, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto
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efe, ge, hache, i, jota,
f, g, h, i, j,
Caption 20, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto
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ka, ele, eme, ene, eñe,
k, l, m, n, ñ,
Caption 21, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto
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o, pe, cu, erre, ese,
o, p, q, r, s,
Caption 22, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto
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te, u, uve, uve doble,
t, u, v, w,
Caption 23, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto
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equis, i griega
x, y [literally: "Greek i"]
Caption 24, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto
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y zeta.
and z.
Caption 25, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto
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Keep in mind that you can also refer to the letter W as doble ve (double v) or doble u (double u). Similarly, you can also call the letter Y ye instead of i griega (Greek i).
That's it for now. If you feel like practicing a little bit more, try to write one word with each one of the 27 Spanish alphabet letters. And of course, don’t forget to send us your feedback and suggestions.
Let’s start this lesson with a short quiz. Imagine that you want to say the following sentence in Spanish:
“There were many books in that apartment.” You have two options:
a. Había muchos libros en ese apartamento
OR
b. Habían muchos libros en ese apartamento
Which one is the correct form? Había in singular or habían in plural?
To answer our question, we need to say that había and habían belong to the imperfect tense of the Spanish verb haber. Let’s take a look at that conjugation:
Now, very often, we use the verb haber as the auxiliary verb “to have”:
...todas las cosas que había estado buscando, ¿no?
...all the things that I had been looking for, right?
Caption 5, Belanova - Entrevista
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However, in the sentence we are discussing here, we are not using haber as the auxiliary verb “to have,” but rather as an element that allows us to make a reference to the existence of many books in a particular place (the apartment). In other words, we are using haber as the equivalent of there is / there are in English.
When we use haber with that intention, we ALWAYS have to use its singular form even if what comes after it is a plural noun! Because of that, the correct answer to our opening question is the following:
a. Había muchos libros en ese apartamento
Now that we understand that we need to use the singular había and not the plural form habían, let’s look at a couple of examples of how to properly use había when talking about the presence or existence of things or people in a particular place:
Aquí había unas comidas para llevar.
There were some takeout places here.
Caption 8, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
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Porque había diferentes explicaciones de…
Because there were different explanations of…
Caption 31, El Aula Azul - Dos historias
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Porque había muchos obstáculos para ese encuentro.
Because there were many obstacles for that meeting.
Caption 34, La Sub30 - Familias
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Y había muchos seres extraños.
And there were many strange beings.
Caption 43, Salvando el planeta Palabra - Llegada
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No había máquinas de estas.
There were no machines like these.
Caption 37, Tortillería La Nueva Única - Entrevista con don Alfonso
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By the way, it is worth saying that many Spanish speakers make the mistake of using habían instead of había in the context we just discussed. In fact, many people think that what comes after the verb haber is the subject of the sentence, which is not the case.
That’s it for now. We hope this lesson will help you to avoid making this very common mistake in Spanish. And don’t forget to send us your feedback and suggestions.
Using "haber de" to Express Necessity or Possibility
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