The term 'past' refers to a tense that is used to describe actions that have already happened.
Sentences
I finished my homework yesterday.
She visited her grandparents last weekend.
French: Elle a mangé une pomme hier. (She ate an apple yesterday.)
Spanish: Ayer estudié para el examen. (Yesterday I studied for the exam.)
German: Er hat gestern Fußball gespielt. (He played soccer yesterday.)