A2.1 · Week 2About 60 minutes · Audio throughout

A Terrible Day

Un día terrible

More preterite irregulars and storytelling about things that went wrong.

After this lesson, you'll be able to

Tell a short story about something that went wrong
Use a wider range of irregular preterite forms (-j- stem verbs)
Sequence events using primero, después, luego, al final

Stage 1

Week 1: What Did You Do?
Week 2: A Terrible Day (this lesson)
Week 3: When I Was Young
Week 4: How Things Used to Be
Week 5: What Happened While...
Week 6: At the Doctor's
Week 7: I Bought It for Her
Week 8: Can You Tell Me?
Week 9: Bigger, Better, Best
Week 10: My Neighbourhood
Week 11: Telling a Story
Week 12: Review & Assessment

Week 2 of 12

Next lesson: Week 3: When I Was Young →

Grammar focus

Essential grammar for this lesson with examples.

Grammar point 1 of 6

Recap: preterite irregulars from Week 1

Last week you learned the irregular preterite forms of hacer (hice), poder (pude), poner (puse), saber (supe), and querer (quise). These all share a pattern - they have irregular stems but use the same set of unstressed endings: -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.

Here are some quick recap examples from Week 1:

Examples

Hice los deberes ayer.I did the homework yesterday. (hacer - hic-)

No pude dormir anoche.I couldn't sleep last night. (poder - pud-)

Supimos la verdad.We found out the truth. (saber - sup-)

Tip

This week we add a new group of irregular preterites - the -j- stem verbs. They follow the same pattern but with one small twist in the ellos/ellas form.

Grammar point 2 of 6

The -j- stem irregulars: decir, traer, conducir

Three important verbs have stems ending in -j- in the preterite: decir (dij-), traer (traj-), and conducir (conduj-). They use the same unstressed endings as other irregular preterites, but with one critical difference: the ellos/ellas form ends in -eron (not -ieron). The i disappears after j.

All verbs ending in -ducir follow the same pattern as conducir: producir (produj-), traducir (traduj-), reducir (reduj-).

decir (to say/tell) - Preterite

The highlighted part is the ending.

Person	Singular	Plural
1st person	(yo) dije	(nosotros) dijimos
2nd person	(tú) dijiste	(vosotros) dijisteis
3rd person	(él/ella) dijo	(ellos/ellas) dijeron

Examples

Le dije la verdad.I told him/her the truth.

Trajimos los libros a clase.We brought the books to class.

Pablo condujo al trabajo.Pablo drove to work.

Ellos dijeron que no.dijeron, NOT dijieronThey said no.

Los estudiantes tradujeron el texto.The students translated the text.

Tip

The key rule: after j, the i disappears in the ellos form. So it's dijeron (not dijieron), trajeron (not trajieron), condujeron (not condujieron). This applies to ALL -j- stem verbs.

Grammar point 3 of 6

Verb tables: traer & conducir

Here are the full conjugations for traer and conducir. Notice they follow exactly the same pattern as decir - irregular stem + unstressed endings, with -eron (not -ieron) in the ellos form.

-j- Stem Preterite Forms

The highlighted part is the ending.

traer (traj-)	conducir (conduj-)
(yo) traje	(yo) conduje
(tú) trajiste	(tú) condujiste
(él/ella) trajo	(él/ella) condujo
(nosotros) trajimos	(nosotros) condujimos
(vosotros) trajisteis	(vosotros) condujisteis
(ellos/ellas) trajeron	(ellos/ellas) condujeron

Examples

¿Trajiste tu pasaporte?Did you bring your passport?

Conduje dos horas hasta Madrid.I drove two hours to Madrid.

Los camioneros condujeron toda la noche.The lorry drivers drove all night.

Grammar point 4 of 6

Spelling changes: leer, oír, creer (i to y)

Some verbs have a spelling change in the preterite where i becomes y between two vowels. This happens in the third person (él/ella and ellos/ellas) forms. The first and second person forms keep the i but add an accent mark: í (except verbs ending in -uir like construir: construiste, construimos).

This affects verbs like leer (to read), oír (to hear), creer (to believe), caer (to fall), and construir (to build).

Spelling Change Verbs - Preterite

The highlighted part is the ending.

	leer (to read)	oír (to hear)
(yo)	leí	oí
(tú)	leíste	oíste
(él/ella)	leyó	oyó
(nosotros)	leímos	oímos
(vosotros)	leísteis	oísteis
(ellos/ellas)	leyeron	oyeron

Examples

Ana leyó el periódico.leer - 3rd person: i becomes yAna read the newspaper.

Yo leí un libro interesante.leer - 1st person: accented íI read an interesting book.

¿Oíste eso?Did you hear that?

Ellos oyeron un ruido extraño.They heard a strange noise.

No me creyó nadie.Nobody believed me.

Tip

The rule is simple: when an unstressed i falls between two vowels, it becomes y. So le-i-ó becomes le-y-ó, and le-i-eron becomes le-y-eron. The yo and tú forms keep the i because it's stressed (accented).

Grammar point 5 of 6

Sequencing words for storytelling

When telling a story, you need words to connect events in order. Spanish has a rich set of sequencing words (conectores temporales) that make your stories flow naturally. These are essential for the A2 level.

Sequencing Words

Spanish	English	Use
primero	first	Start of a sequence
después	then / after that	Next event
luego	then / next	Next eventsimilar to después
entonces	so then / at that point	Consequence or next step
de repente	suddenly	Unexpected event
por último	lastly	Final item in a list
al final	in the end	Conclusion of a story

Examples

Primero me desperté tarde.First I woke up late.

Después perdí mis llaves.Then/After that I lost my keys.

Luego empezó a llover.Then it started to rain.

Entonces llamé a un taxi.So then I called a taxi.

De repente, oí un ruido muy fuerte.Suddenly, I heard a very loud noise.

Al final, llegué al trabajo tres horas tarde.In the end, I arrived at work three hours late.

Tip

Después and luego are almost interchangeable. Entonces adds a sense of cause-and-effect ("so then..."). Use de repente for dramatic moments in your story!

Grammar point 6 of 6

Putting it all together: telling a story

Now let's combine the irregular preterites and sequencing words to tell a story about a terrible day. Notice how the sequencing words create a clear timeline, and the irregular preterites describe what happened.

Examples

Primero, no oí el despertador y me desperté tarde.First, I didn't hear the alarm and I woke up late.

Después, no traje mi cartera y no pude pagar el café.Then, I didn't bring my wallet and I couldn't pay for coffee.

Luego, conduje al trabajo y el coche se rompió.Then, I drove to work and the car broke down.

Al final, mi jefe me dijo: "Llegas tres horas tarde."In the end, my boss told me: "You're three hours late."

Tip

When telling stories in Spanish, you don't need to use a different sequencing word every time. Repeating después or luego between events sounds natural, just like saying "and then... and then..." in English.

Conversation

Conversation example

Pablo calls Ana to tell her about his terrible Monday. Everything went wrong from the moment he woke up.

Ana¡Hola, Pablo! ¿Qué tal tu lunes?Hi, Pablo! How was your Monday?
Pablo¡Terrible, Ana! Fue el peor día de mi vida.Terrible, Ana! It was the worst day of my life.
Ana¿Qué pasó?What happened?
PabloPrimero, no oí el despertador y me quedé dormido.First, I didn't hear the alarm and I overslept.
Ana¡Oh, no! ¿Y después?Oh no! And then?
PabloDespués, salí de casa con prisa y me dejé el portátil en la mesa de la cocina.Then, I left home in a hurry and left my laptop on the kitchen table.
Ana¡Qué desastre! ¿Condujiste al trabajo?What a disaster! Did you drive to work?
PabloSí, conduje, pero de repente el coche hizo un ruido extraño y se paró en la autopista.Yes, I drove, but suddenly the car made a strange noise and stopped on the motorway.
Ana¡No puede ser! ¿Y qué hiciste?No way! And what did you do?
PabloLlamé a un taxi. Cuando llegué a la reunión, le dije a mi jefe: "Lo siento, fue un accidente."I called a taxi. When I arrived at the meeting, I told my boss: "I'm sorry, it was an accident."
Ana¿Y qué te dijo tu jefe?And what did your boss tell you?
PabloMe dijo: "Pablo, esta es la tercera vez este mes." Al final, no fue mi mejor día.He told me: "Pablo, this is the third time this month." In the end, it wasn't my best day.

Culture

The art of storytelling in Spanish culture

Storytelling is deeply woven into everyday life across the Spanish-speaking world. Unlike English speakers who might give a brief summary - "I had a bad day" - Spanish speakers tend to tell the full story with dramatic detail, gestures, and audience participation. Friends and family interrupt with reactions like "¡No me digas!" (You don't say!), "¡Qué horror!" (How horrible!), and "¿Y entonces qué pasó?" (And then what happened?). This interactive storytelling style is part of the "sobremesa" tradition - lingering at the table after a meal to share stories and conversation. In many Latin American countries, exaggeration is not only accepted but expected when telling anecdotes. A "día terrible" makes for a much better story than a mere "día malo". Next time you share an anecdote in Spanish, don't hold back - add drama, use sequencing words, and invite your listener to react!

Want to learn more?

Vocabulary

Key words and phrases for this lesson.

Daily mishaps

perder las llavesto lose one's keysperder is e-ie stem-changing; preterite is regular: perdí
romper un vasoto break a glassRegular preterite: rompí
olvidar la carterato forget one's wallet
caerseto fall downReflexive; preterite: me caí, se cayó (spelling change)
tropezarto trip / stumblee-ie stem-changing in present; regular in preterite: tropecé (z changes to c before e)
llegar tardeto arrive late
equivocarseto make a mistake / be wrongReflexive: me equivoqué
quedarse dormido/ato oversleep / fall asleepme quedé dormido
derramarto spill
perder el autobústo miss the bus

Sequencing words

primerofirst
despuésthen / after that
luegothen / next
entoncesso then / at that point
al finalin the end
por últimolastly / finally
de repentesuddenly
más tardelater

Reactions & excuses

¡Lo siento!I'm sorry!
Fue un accidente.It was an accident.
No fue mi culpa.It wasn't my fault.
¡Qué mala suerte!What bad luck!
¡Qué desastre!What a disaster!
No me lo puedo creer.I can't believe it.
¡Qué día!What a day!
¡No puede ser!It can't be! / No way!

Practice

Test your understanding with these exercises.

Exercise 1 of 5 · Matching

Match each -j- stem preterite form to its infinitive:

Spanish

English

Exercise 2 of 5 · Fill in the blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct preterite form of the verb in brackets:

Yo le la verdad a mi madre. (decir)
¿ tus libros a clase? (traer - tú)
María el periódico esta mañana. (leer)
Nosotros no nada. (oír)
Los estudiantes todo el texto al inglés. (traducir)
¿ vosotros el ruido anoche? (oír)

Exercise 3 of 5 · Multiple choice

Choose the correct preterite form (mixing all irregulars from Weeks 1 and 2):

1. Ella me _____ que no puede venir.
2. Nosotros _____ los regalos a la fiesta.
3. Yo _____ la noticia en el periódico.
4. Ellos no _____ venir a la fiesta. (querer)
5. ¿Quién _____ mi coche ayer? (conducir)
6. Los niños _____ un ruido extraño en el jardín. (oír)

Exercise 4 of 5 · Multiple choice

Choose the best sequencing word to complete each sentence in this story:

1. _____, me desperté a las seis de la mañana.
2. _____, desayuné un café con tostadas.
3. _____, salí de casa y caminé a la parada de autobús.
4. _____, empezó a llover muy fuerte.
5. _____, llegué al trabajo completamente mojado.

Exercise 5 of 5 · Reading

Read the passage about Raquel's bad day and answer the questions:

Lectura

El martes pasado, Raquel tuvo un día horrible. Primero, se cayó en la ducha y se hizo daño en la rodilla. Después, no encontró sus llaves y perdió veinte minutos. Luego, condujo al trabajo pero no trajo su cartera - la olvidó en casa. Cuando llegó a la oficina, le dijo a su compañera: "No traje dinero para la comida." Su compañera le dijo: "No te preocupes, yo te invito." Después, en la reunión, derramó café en su portátil. De repente, su jefe dijo: "Raquel, ¿estás bien hoy?" Al final, Raquel leyó un mensaje de su madre: "¡Mañana, un día mejor!"

1. ¿Qué le pasó a Raquel en la ducha?
2. ¿Qué olvidó Raquel en casa?
3. ¿Qué derramó Raquel en la reunión?
4. ¿Quién la invitó a comer?
5. ¿Qué dijo el mensaje de su madre?

Listening practice

ConversationElementaryElenaCarlos

La cita desastrosa de Carlos

Carlos's Disastrous Date

Tip: If you need help, review the questions first, use the slow speed option, and check the transcript.

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ShowHide Transcript

Show English translations

ElenaCarlos, ¿qué tal tu cita del sábado?Carlos, how was your date on Saturday?
Carlos¡Ay, Elena! Fue... un desastre total. No sé por dónde empezar.Oh, Elena! It was a total disaster. I don't know where to start.
Elena¡Cuéntame! ¿Qué pasó primero?Tell me! What happened first?
CarlosPrimero, conduje al restaurante pero no encontré aparcamiento. Conduje treinta minutos buscando un sitio.First, I drove to the restaurant but I couldn't find parking. I drove thirty minutes looking for a spot.
Elena¿Y llegaste tarde?And you arrived late?
CarlosSí, llegué veinte minutos tarde. Le dije: "Lo siento, fue el tráfico." Pero ella no me creyó.Yes, I arrived twenty minutes late. I told her: "I'm sorry, it was the traffic." But she didn't believe me.
Elena¡Qué mala suerte! ¿Y después?What bad luck! And then?
CarlosDespués, el camarero trajo la comida y yo derramé la sopa en mi camisa. ¡Delante de ella!Then, the waiter brought the food and I spilled the soup on my shirt. Right in front of her!
Elena¡No puede ser! ¿Y qué te dijo ella?No way! And what did she say to you?
CarlosAl final, me dijo: "Carlos, eres muy simpático, pero creo que no somos compatibles." Y se fue.In the end, she told me: "Carlos, you're very nice, but I think we're not compatible." And she left.

Comprehension questions

Answer all 5 questions based on the conversation.

Question 1
¿Por qué llegó tarde Carlos?
Why did Carlos arrive late?
Question 2
¿Qué le dijo Carlos a la chica?
What did Carlos tell his date?
Question 3
¿Qué derramó Carlos?
What did Carlos spill?
Question 4
¿La chica le creyó cuando Carlos dijo que fue el tráfico?
Did Carlos's date believe him when he said it was the traffic?
Question 5
¿Qué le dijo ella al final?
What did she tell him in the end?

Before your next lesson

Review materials

Review lesson vocabulary

Test yourself on this week's vocabulary with interactive flashcards.

Practise this week

Write a short story (6-8 sentences) about a terrible day using sequencing words
Conjugate decir, traer, and conducir in the preterite from memory
Practise the spelling change verbs: write the yo and él forms of leer, oír, and creer
Tell a friend about something funny or unlucky that happened to you, using primero, después, luego, al final
Listen to the dialogue again and identify every -j- stem preterite form

Homework

Write a story about "un día terrible" (8-10 sentences) using at least 3 -j- stem preterites and 4 sequencing words
Record yourself telling the story out loud - focus on pronunciation of dije, traje, conduje

Extra practice

Reinforce what you learned this week with these exercises from our site:

2 more practice links

Coming Up Next

Next week we'll learn the imperfect tense - a completely new past tense used for descriptions, habits, and background information. You'll learn to say what things "used to be like" and what was happening when something else occurred.

Ready? Start Week 3 now →

Up next · A2.1 Week 3

When I Was Young

Start Week 3