Definition: The verb tense that expresses action taking place at a definite time in the past. It is contrasted with the imperfect tense, which expresses action that took place at an indefinite time or has not been completed. The preterite is the tense that would normally be thought of as the simple past tense in English.
Also Known As: simple past tense, pretérito indefinido or pretérito perfecto simple in Spanish
Alternate Spellings: preterit
Examples:
Pablo cantó. (Pablo sang.) Ana escribió la carta. (Ana wrote the letter). Adán conocí a Eva. (Adam met Eve.) (Note that conocer can mean "to know" or "to meet." The translation of "met" is used because the use of the preterite indicates that an event happened at a specific time.)
