The imperfect tense in Spanish describes past actions that were ongoing, habitual, or not completed. It also sets scenes and tells time in the past.
Conjugations
The imperfect tense has three sets of endings:
- -ar verbs: aba, abas, aba, ábamos, abais, aban
- -er and -ir verbs: ía, ías, ía, íamos, íais, ían
| Pronoun | hablar* (to speak) | comer* (to eat) | vivir* (to live) | English Hablar Example | English Vivir Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaba | comía | vivía | I was speaking | I was living |
| tú | hablabas | comías | vivías | You were speaking | You were living |
| él/ella/usted | hablaba | comía | vivía | He/She was speaking | He/She was living |
| nosotros | hablábamos | comíamos | vivíamos | We were speaking | We were living |
| vosotros | hablabais | comíais | vivíais | You all were speaking | You all were living |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablaban | comían | vivían | They were speaking | They were living |
Irregular verbs use stem changes but keep the same endings:
| Pronoun | ser* (to be) | ir* (to go) | ver* (to see) | English Ser | English Ir | English Ver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | era | iba | veía | I was | I was going | I was seeing |
| tú | eras | ibas | veías | You were | You were going | You were seeing |
| él/ella/usted | era | iba | veía | He/She was | He/She was going | He/She was seeing |
| nosotros | éramos | íbamos | veíamos | We were | We were going | We were seeing |
| vosotros | erais | ibais | veíais | You all were | You all were going | You all were seeing |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | eran | iban | veían | They were | They were going | They were seeing |
Key Uses
- Habitual actions: Describes things you always or often did in the past. These are repeated or routine actions.
- Ongoing actions: Sets scenes or shows actions that were happening when something else occurred.
- Descriptions: Describes people, places, things, or situations in the past.
- Mental and emotional states: Describes feelings, wishes, or what people thought/intended.
- Telling time and age: Used to indicate time and age in the past.
The imperfect does _not_ specify when an action started or ended.
| Use | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Habitual actions | Cuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol. | When I was a child, I used to play soccer. |
| Ongoing actions | Estaba leyendo cuando llamaste. | I was reading when you called. |
| Descriptions | La casa era grande y tenía jardín. | The house was big and had a garden. |
| Mental/emotional states | Quería ir al parque. | I wanted to go to the park. |
| Telling time/age | Eran las ocho. Tenía diez años. | It was eight o’clock. I was ten years old. |
Examples
Habitual actions
- Siempre íbamos al parque los domingos.
- We always used to go to the park on Sundays.
- Mi abuela cocinaba todos los días.
- My grandmother used to cook every day.
Ongoing actions
- Leía un libro cuando sonó el teléfono.
- I was reading a book when the phone rang.
- Dormíamos cuando empezó la tormenta.
- We were sleeping when the storm started.
Descriptions
- El cielo estaba azul y había muchas flores.
- The sky was blue and there were many flowers.
- Mi profesor era muy amable.
- My teacher was very kind.
Mental and emotional states
- Pensaba en ti toda la tarde.
- I was thinking about you all afternoon.
- Quería comprar un coche nuevo.
- I wanted to buy a new car.
Telling time and age
- Eran las tres de la tarde.
- It was three in the afternoon.
- Cuando tenía quince años, viajé a España.
- When I was fifteen, I traveled to Spain.
How to Choose Between Imperfect and Preterite
- Imperfect: Ongoing, habitual, descriptive. No specific beginning or end.
- Preterite: Completed actions, specific times, or chronological order.
| Scenario | Spanish (Imperfect) | Spanish (Preterite) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| I used to read. | Yo leía mucho. | — | I used to read a lot. |
| I read that book yesterday. | — | Yo leí ese libro ayer. | I read that book yesterday. |
| She was cooking when I arrived. | Ella cocinaba cuando yo llegué. | — | She was cooking when I arrived. |
| I arrived, then I ate. | — | Yo llegué, luego comí. | I arrived, then I ate. |
Common Mistakes
- Using preterite for habitual/ongoing actions:
- Cuando fui niño, jugé al fútbol.
- Cuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol.
- Forgetting that imperfect describes background, not main events.
- Mixing up irregular stems.
Tips for Mastery
- Look for clues: siempre, mientras, a veces, todos los días → probably imperfect.
- Think about context: Is the action complete? Use preterite. Is it describing or setting the scene? Use imperfect.
- Practice with storytelling to get comfortable using imperfect naturally.
When the imperfect tense is used for telling time, what is it doing?
Stating the time as a background setting in the past.
In past narratives, the imperfect sets the scene by telling what time it was, without focusing on a specific event starting or ending.
Why is 'Cuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol.' correct but 'Cuando fui niño, jugé al fútbol.' is wrong?
Because the imperfect (era, jugaba) describes childhood as a background/time, not a completed event.
The imperfect is used for setting a past context (being a child), while the preterite signals completed actions, which doesn’t fit here.
Flashcards (1 of 21)
- Pronoun: yo
- hablar (to speak): hablaba
- comer (to eat): comía
- vivir (to live): vivía
- English Hablar Example: I was speaking
- English Vivir Example: I was living
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
