Have you ever wanted to tell a friend about a quick day trip—in Spanish? Today you’ll learn how to narrate a simple “un día perfecto” using the past tense. We’ll focus on the preterite (pretérito) for actions and the imperfect (imperfecto) for background. You’ll get time markers, must-know verbs, and short exercises to build confidence fast.

Mini story (modelo)

Read this short story. First, enjoy it. Then we’ll unpack it.

Por la mañana, fui a Segovia con mis amigos. Hacía sol y estábamos emocionados. Primero visitamos el acueducto y sacamos muchas fotos. Después, comimos cochinillo en un restaurante pequeño. Más tarde, paseamos por el centro y compré un recuerdo. Al final del día, volvimos a casa cansados pero contentos.

Translation: In the morning, I went to Segovia with my friends. It was sunny and we were excited. First we visited the aqueduct and took many photos. After that, we ate roast suckling pig in a small restaurant. Later, we walked around downtown and I bought a souvenir. At the end of the day, we returned home tired but happy.

Frases de tiempo: How to frame your story

Use simple time markers to guide your listener:

• por la mañana = in the morning
• luego / después = then / after that
• más tarde = later
• al final (del día) = at the end (of the day)
• primero = first

Put them at the start of sentences to move the story forward.

El pretérito: Actions that move the story

We use the preterite (pretérito) for completed actions in sequence: fui, visitamos, comí, volvimos.

Common A2 verbs for trips:

• ir (to go), volver (to return)
• salir (to leave), llegar (to arrive)
• visitar (to visit), ver (to see)
• comer / beber (to eat / drink)
• comprar (to buy)
• sacar fotos (to take photos)

Model these forms:

El sábado (yo) al centro y

Tip: In -ar verbs like visitar and comprar, the “yo” preterite ends in -é (visité, compré). In -er/-ir verbs like comer and vivir, “yo” ends in -í (comí, viví). Keep sentences short and clear.

El imperfecto: Background, weather, feelings

Use the imperfect to set the scene—what it was like:

• hacía sol / hacía frío = it was sunny / it was cold
• estaba nublado = it was cloudy
• estábamos cansados = we were tired
• había mucha gente = there were many people

Combine imperfect (background) + preterite (action):

La hora y expresiones útiles

When mentioning clock time in the past, use “a la(s)”: A las 8, tomamos el bus. A la una, almorcé.

Also, for parts of the day, use “por”: por la mañana, por la tarde, por la noche.

En la mañana fuimos al centro. → Por la mañana fuimos al centro. In Spanish, prefer “por la mañana/tarde/noche,” not “en la mañana.”

Vocabulario práctico para excursiones

Here are must-know words for day trip stories. Practice them with short, true sentences about your own day.

• salir (to leave), llegar (to arrive)
• tomar el tren / el bus (to take the train/bus)
• sacar fotos / tomar fotos (to take photos) — “sacar” is common in Spain; “tomar” is also heard in Latin America
• pasear (to stroll), descansar (to rest)
• probar (to try, food), pedir (to order)
• volver (to return)

Examples:

Quick practice: choose preterite or imperfect

Think about whether the sentence is background (imperfect) or action (preterite).

Build your own 5-line story

Use this structure. Keep it simple and clear.

1. Por la mañana, ___ (time/transport).
2. Primero, ___ (visited/saw).
3. Después, ___ (ate/drank).
4. Más tarde, ___ (walked/bought).
5. Al final, ___ (returned + feeling).

Model:

A la una (nosotros) en el parque y

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Don’t overuse the imperfect. Use it to set the scene once, then switch to preterite for actions.
• Keep verbs consistent in person and number: if you start with “fuimos,” keep “comimos,” “volvimos,” etc.
• Be specific with time when you can: A las 10…, el sábado pasado…

Ayer fuimos al museo y veía pinturas. → Ayer fuimos al museo y vimos pinturas. After a completed action (“fuimos”), continue the sequence with preterite (“vimos”), not imperfect (“veía”), unless you’re describing background.

Final mini-challenge

Write 4–6 short sentences about a real or imaginary day trip. Use at least three time markers (por la mañana, después, más tarde, al final) and mix one background line with imperfect (hacía sol, estaba cansado) plus your action line in preterite (fui, comí, vi, volvimos). Read it aloud—¡poquito a poquito, mejoras mucho!

You’ve got this. Conecta tus frases con marcadores de tiempo, usa el pretérito para acciones y el imperfecto para el ambiente. ¡Buen viaje lingüístico!