What is the difference between saying "pretérito" and "preterite"?

[Yoodle15]

...:)

[wrholt]

"Pretérito" is one of the common names in Spanish for a type of past tense. "Preterit" or "preterite" is an English name for the same type of past tense. There are a variety of other common and less-common names for the same type of past tense, depending on the linguistic tradition and the particular language one is studying.

Depending on the grammar one consults, there are 2 different "pretéritos". For example, for the verb "decir" (to say) with the subject "yo" ("I"):
1. dije (I said) = pretérito perfecto simple
2. he dicho (I said, I have said) = pretérito perfecto compuesto

[Perikles]

Depending on the grammar one consults, there are 2 different "pretéritos". Unfortunately, the definition varies and some grammars give all past forms of the Spanish verb as pretérito:

Pretérito imperfecto
Pretérito subjuntivo
Pretérito perfecto compuesto
Pretérito perfecto anterior
Pretérito plusquamperfecto etc.

Example (http://www.onoma.es/conjuga-verbo.html#salir+pronominal=false+tiempos=0$3$+per sonas=1$2$4$5$8$10$12$13$+paradigma=2)

This is particularly confusing when compared with English grammars, which define the preterite as distinct from, say, the imperfect.