The imperfect tense in Spanish describes actions in the past that were ongoing, habitual, or used to set the scene, rather than focusing on their completion. It provides context and background for events.
- Used for actions without a defined end
- Describes repeated/habitual past actions
- Sets the scene or provides background information
- Expresses age, time, and emotional states in the past
Imperfect is used for ongoing actions, habits, and background in the past.
When to Use the Imperfect
The imperfect is used for:
- Ongoing actions: "She was reading." → Ella leía.
- Habitual actions: "We used to eat out." → Cenábamos afuera.
- Background/setting: "It was sunny." → Hacía sol.
- Age/time/weather: "I was 10." → Tenía diez años.
- Emotional/mental states: "He felt happy." → Él estaba feliz.
Use the imperfect for routines, background, and age in the past.
Conjugation Patterns
Regular verbs follow these endings in the imperfect:
| Subject | -ar | -er | -ir |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | -aba | -ía | -ía |
| tú | -abas | -ías | -ías |
| él/ella/usted | -aba | -ía | -ía |
| nosotros | -ábamos | -íamos | -íamos |
| vosotros | -abais | -íais | -íais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -aban | -ían | -ían |
Examples:
hablar: hablaba, hablabas, hablaba, hablábamos, hablabais, hablaban
comer/vivir: comía/vivía, comías/vivías, comía/vivía, comíamos/vivíamos, comíais/vivíais, comían/vivían
For -ar verbs, use -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban.
For -er and -ir verbs, use -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían.
Examples
| Use | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing | Yo trabajaba. | I was working. |
| Habitual | Íbamos al cine. | We used to go... |
| Background | Era tarde. | It was late. |
| Age | Tenía cinco años. | I was five years old. |
| Emotion | Estaban tristes. | They were sad. |
Only the sentences about childhood, routines, or setting a scene use the imperfect.
Conclusion
The imperfect tense is essential for conveying the full picture of the past in Spanish, showing not just what happened, but also what was happening, repeated, or felt.
- Use imperfect for ongoing, habitual, or background actions/states in the past.
- Recognize the distinct endings for -ar vs. -er/-ir verbs.
- Practice with real-life contexts like stories, descriptions, and routines.