El pretérito vs. el imperfecto: Casos especiales (Shape Shifters)

saber (imperfecto)

to know (facts, info)

saber (el pretérito)

to learn, find out

conocer (imperfecto)

to know (person, place)

conocer (pretérito)

to meet

querer (imperfecto)

to want (but not necessarily do, get, make the effort)

querer (pretérito)

to want (and actually made an attempt, did, got)

no querer (imperfecto)

to not want (but maybe did, got)

no querer (pretérito)

to refuse

poder (imperfecto)

to have the ability to (but didn’t necessarily do)

poder (pretérito)

to manage (succeeded in doing)

tener (imperfecto)

to have

tener (pretérito)

to get, receive, have (as in an accident, a baby, etc.)

tener que + infinitivo (imperfecto)

to have to do something (but didn’t necessarily do it, “supposed to”)

tener que + infinitivo (pretérito)

to have to do something (and actually did it)

estar + emoción (imperfecto)

was / were feeling

estar + emoción (pretérito)

to become/get that feeling, as a result of a specific reason / action / event

costar (imperfecto)

to cost (was valued at, but didn’t necessarily buy)

costar (pretérito)

to cost (and was purchased)

pensar (imperfecto)

thought

pensar (pretérito)

to dawn on, realize