The imperfect tense in Spanish is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It provides context for actions that were not completed or for situations that were repeated over time.
Key Uses
- Habitual Actions in the Past: Describes activities that were regularly repeated.
- Ongoing Actions in the Past: Indicates actions that were in progress and do not specify a definite start or end.
- Background Information or Descriptions: Sets the scene with details like time, weather, age, and more.
Conjugation Patterns
The imperfect tense is formed with specific endings for each verb conjugation group: -ar, -er, and -ir.
-ar Verbs
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|
| Yo | navegaba |
| Tú | navegabas |
| Él/Ella/Usted | navegaba |
| Nosotros | navegábamos |
| Vosotros | navegabais |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | navegaban |
-er Verbs
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|
| Yo | tenía |
| Tú | tenías |
| Él/Ella/Usted | tenía |
| Nosotros | teníamos |
| Vosotros | teníais |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | tenían |
-ir Verbs
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|
| Yo | escribía |
| Tú | escribías |
| Él/Ella/Usted | escribía |
| Nosotros | escribíamos |
| Vosotros | escribíais |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | escribían |
Irregular Verbs
Some verbs have irregular forms in the imperfect tense.
Ir (to go)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|
| Yo | iba |
| Tú | ibas |
| Él/Ella/Usted | iba |
| Nosotros | íbamos |
| Vosotros | ibais |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | iban |
Ser (to be)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|
| Yo | era |
| Tú | eras |
| Él/Ella/Usted | era |
| Nosotros | éramos |
| Vosotros | erais |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | eran |
Ver (to see)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|
| Yo | veía |
| Tú | veías |
| Él/Ella/Usted | veía |
| Nosotros | veíamos |
| Vosotros | veíais |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | veían |
Example Sentences
- Habitual Action: "Nosotros navegábamos por internet cada día."
- Translation: "We browsed the internet every day."
- Ongoing Action: "Él descargaba archivos cuando se cortó la conexión."
- Translation: "He was downloading files when the connection was cut."
- Background Description: "El software era complicado y necesitaba actualizaciones."
- Translation: "The software was complicated and needed updates."
Practice
Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the imperfect tense:
- Yo siempre (usar) la misma contraseña.
- Mis amigos (compartir) memes en el chat.
- Tú (tener) una tablet antigua.
- Nosotros (ver) videos en YouTube todas las tardes.
- Ella (ser) muy buena con la tecnología.
The imperfect tense is essential for describing past routines, ongoing actions, and setting the scene in narratives.
