Time expressions

Foreign Languages

Definition

Time expressions are words and phrases that indicate when or how often something happens, such as yesterday, tomorrow, always, sometimes, last week, and next month. They are essential for narrating events and are key signal words for choosing past tenses.

Examples

  • Ayer fui al cine. (Yesterday I went to the movies.) — signals preterite
  • Hier, je suis allé au cinéma. (Yesterday I went to the movies.)
  • Manchmal spiele ich Klavier. (Sometimes I play piano.)
Key Fact

Preterite triggers: ayer, anoche, el año pasado, una vez | Imperfect triggers: siempre, a menudo, todos los días, de niño

Related Terms

Telling time Preterite vs imperfect Days and months Daily schedule

Study This Concept

Practice time expressions with free review games in these units:

Mandarin Chinese 1 Unit 4: Time and Dates