Foreign Languages
Time expressions.
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
Real-world.
- 1 Ayer fui al cine. (Yesterday I went to the movies.) — signals preterite
- 2 Hier, je suis allé au cinéma. (Yesterday I went to the movies.)
- 3 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