The Imperfect tense
Learn Spanish: Conjugating Spanish Past Tense - Imperfect (Imperfecto)
This learn Spanish grammar lesson is about the other way of expressing the past tense - the imperfect (el imperfecto). This learn Spanish grammar lesson will review how to conjugate regular and irregular verbs in the Spanish imperfect and when to use it. As you learned while studying the preterit, in Spanish there are two simple past tenses: the preterit and the imperfect tense.
As you learned while studying the preterit, in Spanish there are two simple past tenses: the preterit and the imperfect tense.
The preterit is used to narrate or relate what happened at a specific point in time or specific occasion (yesterday, last night, etc). For example:
| Ayer fuimos al concierto y regresamos tarde. |
Yesterday, we went to the concert and returned late. |
The imperfect tense is used mainly to describe the past (weather, people, ongoing conditions, places and things) and also to indicate routine or habitual actions in the past (what you "used to do" in the past).
| Nevaba y las chicas hacían muñecos de nieve. |
It was snowing and the girls were making snowmen. |
| De niña jugaba con mi hermano mientras mi madre dormía. |
As child I used to play with my brother while my mother was sleeping. |
Conjugating Verbs in the Imperfect
1) Regular forms
-AR verbs |
-ER / -IR verbs |
| Subject Pronoun |
Tomar |
Comer |
Vivir |
| Yo |
tomaba |
comía |
vivía |
| Tú |
tomabas |
comías |
vivías |
| Usted/Él/Ella |
tomaba |
comía |
vivía |
| Nosotros/as |
tomabamos |
comíamos |
vivíamos |
| Vosotros |
tomabais |
comisteis |
vivisteis |
| Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas |
tomaban |
comían |
vivían |
2) The Imperfect translates into four English forms:
| Used to do something |
De niña vivía en Córdoba |
As a child I used to live in Cordoba. |
| Habitual action |
Una vez por mes, comía con ellos. |
Once a month I would eat with them. |
| Description of the past |
En 1982 viviamos en Florida |
In 1982 we were living in Florida. |
| Ongoing action in the past |
Tomaba desayuno cuando me llamaste. |
I was eating breakfast when you called me. |
3) Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect tense
In Spanish there are only 3 irregular verbs in the Imperfect tense. They require memorization.
Ser, Ir and Ver
Subject Pronoun |
Ser (to be) |
Ir (to go) |
Ver (to see) |
| Yo |
era |
iba |
veía |
| Tú |
eras |
ibas |
veías |
| Usted/Él/Ella |
era |
iba |
veía |
| Nosotros/as |
eramos |
ibamos |
veíamos |
| Vosotros |
erais |
ibaís |
veías |
| Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas |
eran |
iban |
veían |
Cuando (yo) era joven, (yo) iba a la playa todos los días.
When I was young, I used to go to the beach every day.
(Yo) veía la televisión cuando tú trabajabas.
I was watching television when you were working.
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