Imperfect Past in Spanish

The imperfect past is a verb tense in Spanish that we use to talk about situations that occurred habitually, continuously, or as part of the context of an action in the past.

In this article, we will learn what the imperfect past is, how it is formed, its main uses in the indicative and subjunctive moods, as well as common mistakes that are often made. 

Let’s get started!

What is the Imperfect Past in Spanish?

The imperfect past indicative is a verb tense that we use to talk about past actions that are unfinished or that were repeated regularly. It helps us describe past situations, express habits, and provide context for a story. Examples of sentences in the imperfect past:

• Cuando era niño, jugaba en el parque. (When I was a child, I played in the park.) (habitual action)
• Mis abuelos vivían en una casa antigua. (My grandparents lived in an old house.) (context description)
• Todos los domingos, mi familia iba al cine. (Every Sunday, my family went to the movies.) (habit in the past)
• Ella siempre cantaba cuando estaba feliz. (She always sang when she was happy.) (repeated action)
• El cielo estaba nublado cuando llegamos. (The sky was cloudy when we arrived.) (context of a past action)

How to Form the Imperfect Past in Spanish

The conjugation in the imperfect past varies according to the type of verb: -ar, -er, or -ir. For regular verbs, we add the imperfect endings to the root of the verb.

Structure of the Imperfect Past

Examples with Regular Verbs:

-ar Verbs:

Example with the verb hablar (speak): yo hablaba, tú hablabas, él/ella hablaba, nosotros hablábamos, vosotros hablabais, ellos/ellas hablaban. (I was speaking, you were speaking, he/she was speaking, we were speaking, you all were speaking, they were speaking.)

Examples of verbs in the imperfect past with -ar ending:

• Yo hablaba con mi abuela todos los días. (I spoke with my grandmother every day.)
• Tú hablabas de tus sueños. (You talked about your dreams.)
• Ella hablaba en voz baja. (She spoke in a low voice.)
• Nosotros hablábamos de nuestras ideas. (We talked about our ideas.)
• Ellos hablaban durante la cena. (They talked during dinner.)

-er Verbs:

Example with the verb comer (eat): yo comía, tú comías, él/ella comía, nosotros comíamos, vosotros comíais, ellos/ellas comían. (I was eating, you were eating, he/she was eating, we were eating, you all were eating, they were eating.)

Examples of verbs in the imperfect past with -er ending:

• Yo comía pizza todos los viernes. (I ate pizza every Friday.)
• Tú comías en el parque a veces. (You sometimes ate in the park.)
• Él comía frutas cada mañana. (He ate fruit every morning.)
• Nosotros comíamos juntos siempre. (We always ate together.)
• Ellos comían tarde. (They ate late.)

-ir Verbs:

Example with the verb vivir (live): yo vivía, tú vivías, él/ella vivía, nosotros vivíamos, vosotros vivíais, ellos/ellas vivían. (I was living, you were living, he/she was living, we were living, you all were living, they were living)

Examples of verbs in the imperfect past with -ir ending:

• Yo vivía en una casa grande. (I lived in a big house.)
• Tú vivías en el campo. (You lived in the countryside.)
• Ella vivía cerca de sus padres. (She lived near her parents.)
• Nosotros vivíamos en la misma ciudad. (We lived in the same city.)
• Ellos vivían en otro país. (They lived in another country.)

1

Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect Past

In the imperfect past, there are only three irregular verbs in Spanish: ser, ir, and ver. Although they have special conjugations, they are used very frequently.

Examples of irregular verbs in the imperfect past:

Ser (to be): yo era, tú eras, él/ella era, nosotros éramos, vosotros erais, ellos/ellas eran. (I was, you were, he/she was, we were, you all were, they were)

• Yo era un niño muy curioso. (I was a very curious child.)
• Tú eras el mejor amigo de Ángel. (You were Ángel's best friend.)
• Ella era una persona amable. (She was a kind person.)
• Nosotros éramos vecinos. (We were neighbors.)
• Ellos eran buenos estudiantes. (They were good students.)

Ir (to go): yo iba, tú ibas, él/ella iba, nosotros íbamos, vosotros ibais, ellos/ellas iban. (I was going, you were going, he/she was going, we were going, you all were going, they were going.)

• Yo iba a nadar todos los sábados. (I went swimming every Saturday.)
• Tú ibas a la escuela en autobús. (You went to school by bus.)
• Él iba a visitar a su abuela. (He was going to visit his grandmother.)
• Nosotros íbamos al parque juntos. (We went to the park together.)
• Ellos iban de viaje cada verano. (They went on a trip every summer.)

Ver (see): yo veía, tú veías, él/ella veía, nosotros veíamos, vosotros veíais, ellos/ellas veían. (I was seeing, you were seeing, he/she was seeing, we were seeing, you all were seeing, they were seeing.)

• Yo veía muchas películas. (I watched many movies.)
• Tú veías los dibujos animados. (You watched cartoons.)
• Ella veía a sus amigos cada día. (She saw her friends every day.)
• Nosotros veíamos el atardecer. (We watched the sunset.)
• Ellos veían a sus primos los domingos. (They saw their cousins on Sundays.)

Uses of the Imperfect Past Indicative

The imperfect past indicative has three main uses in Spanish:

Habitual Actions

To talk about things that happened regularly in the past. Examples of using the imperfect past for habitual actions:

• Yo leía cada noche. (I read every night.)
• Ella practicaba deportes cada semana. (She practiced sports every week.)
• Nosotros comíamos juntos todos los domingos. (We ate together every Sunday.)
• Tú ibas al gimnasio regularmente. (You went to the gym regularly.)
• Ellos veían la televisión después de cenar. (They watched television after dinner.)

Continuous Actions or Actions with No Clear End

To describe actions that do not have a specific beginning or end. Examples of using the imperfect past for continuous actions:

• La lluvia caía sin parar. (The rain was falling nonstop.)
• Él trabajaba en el proyecto. (He was working on the project.)
• Nosotros hablábamos sobre el evento. (We were talking about the event.)
• Ella miraba las estrellas. (She was watching the stars.)
• Ellos pintaban la casa. (They were painting the house.)

Describing Context

To give details about the environment or circumstances of an action. Examples of using the imperfect past for context:

• Era un día soleado. (It was a sunny day.)
• La ciudad estaba tranquila. (The city was quiet.)
• Ellos vivían cerca del mar. (They lived near the sea.)
• El restaurante estaba lleno. (The restaurant was full.)
• La casa tenía un jardín grande. (The house had a big garden.)

Uses of the Imperfect Past Subjunctive

The imperfect past subjunctive is used in Spanish to talk about wishes, hypothetical situations, and in expressions of courtesy.

Wishes or Hypothetical Situations

• Ojalá pudiera ir a la fiesta. (I wish I could go to the party.)
• Quisiera que estuvieras aquí. (I would like you to be here.)
• Si tuviera dinero, viajaría. (If I had money, I would travel.)
• Desearía que fuera verano. (I would wish it were summer.)
• Quisiera visitar Italia. (I would like to visit Italy.)

Conditional Sentences

• Si yo fuera tú, estudiaría más. (If I were you, I would study more.)
• Si tuviera tiempo, aprendería alemán. (If I had time, I would learn German.)
• Si él viniera, estaríamos contentos. (If he came, we would be happy.)
• Si pudiéramos, iríamos. (If we could, we would go.)
• Si hiciera sol, saldríamos. (If it were sunny, we would go out.)

Courtesy

• Quisiera pedir un favor. (I would like to ask for a favor.)
• ¿Pudieras pasarme la sal? (Could you pass me the salt?)
• Quisiera saber la hora. (I would like to know the time.)
• Si pudiera hablar contigo un momento… (If I could talk to you for a moment…)
• Me gustaría ver el menú, por favor. (I would like to see the menu, please.)

Common Mistakes with the Imperfect Past and How to Avoid Them

When learning the imperfect past, students often make some mistakes. Here are some of the most common ones and how you can avoid them:

Confusion with the Simple Past

Use the imperfect for habitual actions, not for specific events.

• Incorrect: Ayer fui al parque todos los días. (Yesterday I went to the park every day.)
• Correct: Iba al parque todos los días. (I went to the park every day.)

Incorrect Use of Irregulars

Irregular verbs have special forms in the imperfect past that are important to study and memorize.

• Incorrect: Yo sabí la respuesta. 
• Correct: Yo supe la respuesta. (I knew the answer.)

Forgetting the Correct Endings for -ar, -er, and -ir Verbs

Use the appropriate endings according to the type of verb. Review them daily until you master their use.

• Incorrect: Nosotros hablieron mucho.
• Correct: Nosotros hablamos mucho. (We spoke a lot.)

Using the Simple Past Instead of the Imperfect

For repeated actions in the past, use the imperfect tense.

• Incorrect: Cuando era niño, fui al parque todos los días.
• Correct: Cuando era niño, iba al parque todos los días. (When I was a child, I went to the park every day.)

Practicing these details will help improve your use of the imperfect past in Spanish.

Summary

The imperfect past is an important verb tense that allows us to describe the past in Spanish, and with the subjunctive, it also adds flexibility to express wishes or hypothetical situations.

With constant practice through the Promova app, you will be able to use them correctly to improve your Spanish and express past situations naturally. Keep practicing!