Time words A1
Every sentence has a time word: ayer, normalmente, mañana. Present, ir a and the preterite (the time word tells you).
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Keys: 1 Past · 2 Present · 3 Future · Space to replay · Enter for the next sentence
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Your answers
Ayer fui al cine con mi hermano.Yesterday I went to the cinema with my brother.Past · preterite
Normalmente desayuno en casa.I usually have breakfast at home.Present · present
Mañana voy a jugar al fútbol.Tomorrow I'm going to play football.Future · near future (ir a + infinitive)
La semana pasada visité a mis abuelos.Last week I visited my grandparents.Past · preterite
Ahora vivo en Madrid.I live in Madrid now.Present · present
El sábado que viene vamos a ir a la playa.Next Saturday we're going to go to the beach.Future · near future (ir a + infinitive)
Anoche cené en un restaurante italiano.Last night I had dinner at an Italian restaurant.Past · preterite
Todos los días voy al instituto en autobús.I go to school by bus every day.Present · present
Esta noche voy a ver una película.Tonight I'm going to watch a film.Future · near future (ir a + infinitive)
El verano pasado viajamos a Francia.Last summer we travelled to France.Past · preteriteViajamos is the same in the present and the preterite (nosotros forms of -ar and -ir verbs). Here el verano pasado tells you it is the past.
Los fines de semana mi padre cocina.At weekends my dad cooks.Present · present
El año que viene mi hermana va a aprender a conducir.Next year my sister is going to learn to drive.Future · near future (ir a + infinitive)
Comí una tortilla en el bar.I had a Spanish omelette in the bar.Past · preterite
Bebo mucha agua.I drink a lot of water.Present · present
Mis primos van a cenar fuera.My cousins are going to eat out.Future · near future (ir a + infinitive)
Jugaba al tenis con mi padre.I used to play tennis with my dad.Past · imperfectThe imperfect (-aba, -ía) is a past tense too: what used to happen or what was going on.
Mi hermana trabaja en un hospital.My sister works in a hospital.Present · present
Mis tíos van a comprar un coche nuevo.My aunt and uncle are going to buy a new car.Future · near future (ir a + infinitive)
Vivíamos en un piso pequeño.We used to live in a small flat.Past · imperfect
Escribes muy bien.You write really well.Present · present
¿Vas a venir a la fiesta?Are you going to come to the party?Future · near future (ir a + infinitive)
Hizo mucho calor.It was very hot.Past · preteriteHizo is the preterite of hacer. In the present it would be hace mucho calor.
Tengo un perro muy grande.I have a very big dog.Present · present
Voy a llamar a mi abuela.I'm going to call my grandmother.Future · near future (ir a + infinitive)
Trabajo en una tienda.I work in a shop.Present · present (yo)Stressed on the second-to-last syllable, tra-BA-jo, ending in -o: yo, present.
Trabajó en una tienda.He worked in a shop.Past · preterite (él / ella)Stressed on the last syllable, tra-ba-JÓ: él, ella or usted, preterite. It can also mean "she worked" or "you worked".
Trabajaré en una tienda.I will work in a shop.Future · future (yo)The whole infinitive, trabajar, plus -é: future.
Ceno en casa.I have dinner at home.Present · present (yo)
Cenó en casa.She had dinner at home.Past · preterite (él / ella)Stressed on the last syllable, ce-NÓ: preterite. It can also mean "he had dinner".
Cenaré en casa.I will have dinner at home.Future · future (yo)
Estudio en la biblioteca.I study in the library.Present · present (yo)
Estudió en la biblioteca.He studied in the library.Past · preterite (él / ella)
Estudiaré en la biblioteca.I will study in the library.Future · future (yo)
Hablo con mi madre.I talk to my mum.Present · present (yo)
Habló con su madre.She talked to her mum.Past · preterite (él / ella)
Hablaré con mi madre.I will talk to my mum.Future · future (yo)
He visitado Barcelona dos veces.I've visited Barcelona twice.Past · perfectHe, has, ha + -ado / -ido is the perfect tense: it talks about the past.
Iremos a Escocia en agosto.We'll go to Scotland in August.Future · future
Estoy haciendo los deberes.I'm doing my homework.Present · present continuous
Hemos comido demasiado.We've eaten too much.Past · perfect
Tendrás que estudiar más.You'll have to study more.Future · future
Mi hermano está buscando trabajo.My brother is looking for a job.Present · present continuous
¿Has terminado el libro?Have you finished the book?Past · perfect
Haré los deberes después de cenar.I'll do my homework after dinner.Future · future
Estaba lloviendo cuando salí.It was raining when I went out.Past · past continuous and preterite
Mis padres se llevan bien conmigo.My parents get on well with me.Present · present
Mis amigos vendrán a mi casa.My friends will come to my house.Future · future
Me gusta mucho mi instituto.I really like my school.Present · present
Fue un día increíble.It was an amazing day.Past · preterite (ser)
Hay mucho tráfico en mi ciudad.There's a lot of traffic in my town.Present · present (haber)
Había mucha gente en la playa.There were lots of people on the beach.Past · imperfect (haber)Hay (there is / there are) becomes había in the past and habrá in the future.
Habrá más coches eléctricos.There will be more electric cars.Future · future (haber)
Mi instituto es bastante grande.My school is quite big.Present · present (ser)
El viaje será largo.The journey will be long.Future · future (ser)
Tuvimos que esperar dos horas.We had to wait two hours.Past · preterite (tener)
Saldré con mis amigos.I'll go out with my friends.Future · future (salir)
Hago natación dos veces por semana.I go swimming twice a week.Present · present (hacer)
Fuimos a Málaga en tren.We went to Málaga by train.Past · preterite (ir)Fui, fue, fuimos are the preterite of both ir and ser: "we went" here, "it was" in fue un día increíble.
Podré ir a la universidad.I'll be able to go to university.Future · future (poder)
Suelo ir al gimnasio por la tarde.I usually go to the gym in the afternoon.Present · present (soler + infinitive)Soler + infinitive means "usually do": suelo ir, I usually go.
Mañana voy al cine.I'm going to the cinema tomorrow.Future · present with a future time wordVoy is a present tense, but mañana makes it the future. It is the time that counts, not the tense name.
Acabo de llegar a casa.I've just got home.Past · acabar de + infinitiveAcabo is present, but acabar de + infinitive means "to have just done": it has already happened, so we count it as past.
Hace dos años que estudio español.I've been studying Spanish for two years.Present · hace ... que + presentIt started two years ago and is still going on, so Spanish uses the present. English says "I have been studying".
Llevo tres meses aprendiendo a tocar la guitarra.I've been learning to play the guitar for three months.Present · llevar + time + -ando / -iendoLlevar + time + -ando / -iendo: something you have been doing for that long and still are.
Iba a llamarte, pero no tuve tiempo.I was going to call you, but I didn't have time.Past · iba a + infinitive, preteriteIba a is ir a in the imperfect: "was going to". The plan was in the past, and it never happened.
El año que viene empiezo la universidad.I start university next year.Future · present with a future time phraseEmpiezo is present, but el año que viene puts it in the future.
Cuando sea mayor, viviré en el extranjero.When I'm older, I'll live abroad.Future · cuando + subjunctive, futureSea is a present subjunctive: after cuando it points to the future, and viviré is the future tense.
Juego al fútbol desde los seis años.I've been playing football since I was six.Present · present + desdeDesde: it started in the past but is still true, so Spanish uses the present.
Si hace buen tiempo, iremos a la playa.If the weather's good, we'll go to the beach.Future · si + present, futureHace is present, but it is part of the condition. What will happen is iremos, a future.
Llegué a casa hace una hora.I got home an hour ago.Past · preterite + hace (ago)Hace + time with a past verb means "ago" (llegué hace una hora, or hace una hora llegué). Compare hace dos años que estudio, which is present.
Mi padre ya no fuma.My dad doesn't smoke any more.Present · presentYa no means "not any more". It is about now, even though ya often means "already".
Antes no me gustaba el pescado.I didn't use to like fish.Past · imperfectAntes on its own means "before" or "in the past", and gustaba is the imperfect.
How the answers work
It's the time that counts, not the tense name. Mañana voy al cine uses a present-tense verb, but it's about tomorrow, so the answer is Future. Acabo de llegar (I've just arrived) is Past, and hace dos años que estudio español (I've been studying Spanish for two years) is Present, because it's still going on. The last set is full of these.
Past covers the preterite (fui), the imperfect (jugaba), the perfect (he visitado) and acabar de. Present covers the present and estoy haciendo. Future covers ir a + infinitive, the future tense (iré) and a present with a future time word.
Why there's no "would". The conditional (iría, me gustaría) says what would happen, not when, so it doesn't fit neatly into past, present or future. Rather than give you an arguable answer, these sets leave it out.
The sentences are read by six different speakers from Spain, men and women, so you get used to more than one voice. Tap Slower to hear a sentence at reduced speed.