Learn Spanish with a Past Tense Story: La Tienda

This Spanish story is an excellent lesson for beginners, and also has useful phrases for intermediate Spanish learners. The story uses common Spanish verbs and other basic vocabulary. Native speakers from Mexico narrate using actions, expressions and props to make learning easy.

Story: La Tienda

Yesterday, I went to the store. I needed to buy some bread and milk. When I arrived at the store, I saw many people. There were many things to buy. I picked up a loaf of bread and a carton of milk. I went to the cashier to pay. The cashier was very friendly. I paid for my groceries and left the store.

Vocabulary

English	Spanish
Yesterday	Ayer
I went	Fui
To the store	A la tienda
I needed	Necesitaba
To buy	Comprar
Bread	Pan
Milk	Leche
When I arrived	Cuando llegué
I saw	Vi
Many people	Mucha gente
There were	Había
Many things	Muchas cosas
To buy	Para comprar
I picked up	Tomé
A loaf of bread	Una barra de pan
A carton of milk	Un cartón de leche
I went	Fui
To the cashier	A la caja
To pay	Para pagar
The cashier	El cajero
Was very friendly	Era muy amable
I paid	Pagué
For my groceries	Por mis comestibles
I left	Me fui
The store	La tienda

Grammar

This story uses the past tense of verbs. The past tense of verbs in Spanish is used to talk about actions that happened in the past. The past tense of verbs is formed by adding an ending to the verb stem. The ending depends on the conjugation of the verb. For example, the verb “ir” (to go) is conjugated in the past tense as follows:

Pronoun	Conjugation
Yo	Fui
Tú	Fuiste
Él/Ella/Usted	Fue
Nosotros	Fuimos
Vosotros	Fuisteis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Fueron

This story also uses the definite article “la” before the word “tienda” (store). The definite article is used before nouns that are specific or known. In this case, the store is specific because it is the store that the speaker went to.

Practice

Here are some practice exercises to help you learn the vocabulary and grammar from this story:

1. Translate the following sentences into Spanish:
• I went to the store yesterday.
• I bought a loaf of bread and a carton of milk.
• The cashier was very friendly.
2. Write a short story about your last trip to the store.
3. Use the past tense of verbs to describe what you did yesterday.

Conclusion

This story is a great way to learn some basic Spanish vocabulary and grammar. It is also a fun way to practice your Spanish skills. By reading and understanding this story, you can improve your fluency and confidence in speaking Spanish. Remember to practice regularly and have fun learning! ¡Buen trabajo!