la semana pasada
/la semana pasada/from spelling rules
last week in Spanish is la semana pasada.
la semana pasada is a way to say "last week" in Spanish, referring to the week before this one.
Meaning: week before this one (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase la semana pasada, the word pasada is the feminine past participle of pasar, meaning "passed" or "past".
Which one should you use?
You may encounter la semana anterior, which translates to "the previous week".
How does it change in a sentence?
Because semana is a feminine noun, the adjective pasada must also be in the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
/la semana pasada/
Did you know?
- The word semana shares a common root with the English word 'september', as both stem from the Latin word for 'seven'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if you say la semana pasada on a Monday, you might be referring to the week that ended only yesterday, rather than the week before that.
- Depending on the region, the word semana is used in the term Semana Santa to refer to the entire Holy Week of Easter celebrations.
Examples in context
- La vi la semana pasada.I saw her last week.This sentence shows how to use la semana pasada to indicate when you saw a female person.Tatoeba #795889 by Shishir, translation #259066 by CK
- Lo vi la semana pasada.I saw him last week.This sentence shows how to use la semana pasada to indicate when you saw a male person.Tatoeba #5041149 by don_ramon, translation #259064 by CK
- Él murió la semana pasada.He died last week.This sentence shows how to use la semana pasada to specify when an event occurred.Tatoeba #2334836 by marcelostockle, translation #4506273 by Eldad
- 157 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are talking about a recent trip to the cinema.
- Lucía¿Fuiste al cine la semana pasada?Did you go to the cinema last week?
- MateoSí, fui con mi hermano.Yes, I went with my brother.
- LucíaQué bueno, yo no pude ir.That's good, I couldn't go.
- MateoEs una lástima, Lucía.That's a shame, Lucía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “last week” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, semana, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
