Inklingo

How to Say "past" in Spanish

English → Spanish

pasado

/pa-SA-do//paˈsa.ðo/

AdjectiveA1General
Use 'pasado' to refer to the immediately preceding period of time, such as last year, last week, or yesterday.
A very hard, dry, and slightly moldy piece of bread sitting on a simple wooden surface, illustrating staleness.

Examples

El año pasado viajé a México.

Last year I traveled to Mexico.

La semana pasada no tuvimos clase.

Last week we didn't have class.

El arroz está un poco pasado, pero se puede comer.

The rice is a little overcooked, but it's edible.

Making it Match

'Pasado' is like a chameleon. It changes its ending to match the word it's describing. Use 'pasado' for masculine words (el año pasado) and 'pasada' for feminine words (la semana pasada).

Where does it go?

When talking about time, 'pasado' almost always comes right after the noun it describes, like in 'el fin de semana pasado' (last weekend).

Also a Verb Part

You'll also see 'pasado' used with the verb 'haber' to talk about things that 'have happened'. For example, 'He pasado un buen día' (I have had a good day). Here, it's part of the verb 'pasar'.

Pasado vs. Último

Mistake: “Using 'último' to mean 'last year'.”

Correction: 'El año pasado' means 'the year before this one' (e.g., 2023). 'El último año' means 'the final year' (e.g., the last year of college). For time periods just before now, stick with 'pasado'.

antepasado

/ahn-teh-pah-sah-doh//ante'pasado/

AdjectiveB1General
Use 'antepasado' to refer to a time period that is further back than the immediately preceding one, specifically 'the year before last' or 'the year before that'.
A colorful storybook illustration of three distinct houses in a row along a path, with a person standing in front of the first house and pointing back to the third house.

Examples

Fui a Madrid el año antepasado.

I went to Madrid the year before last.

El mes antepasado hizo mucho frío.

The month before last was very cold.

Lo conocí en el siglo antepasado.

I met him (it) in the century before last.

Position Matters

When used as an adjective for time, this word always comes AFTER the noun (like 'el año antepasado').

Matching the Noun

The word changes its ending to 'antepasada' if the time word is feminine, like 'la semana antepasada' (the week before last).

Confusing with 'pasado'

Mistake: “El año pasado (meaning 2 years ago).”

Correction: El año antepasado.

Confusing 'pasado' and 'antepasado'

Learners often confuse 'pasado' and 'antepasado' by using 'pasado' for any past time. Remember that 'pasado' typically means 'last' (e.g., last year), while 'antepasado' specifically means 'the year before last' or further back in a similar way.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.