Spanish imperfect tense explanation for describing past habits, ongoing actions, and background information using -ar, -er, and -ir verb endings.
The Spanish imperfect tense (pretérito imperfecto) is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past, set the scene, or talk about what used to happen. It shows that something was happening over time, repeated, or providing background details — without focusing on when it ended.
- Describes repeated or habitual past actions (what “used to” happen)
- Sets the scene or gives background information
- Talks about ongoing actions in the past (“was …ing”)
- Does not indicate when the action started or finished
Conjugations
The conjugation depends on the verb ending: -ar, -er, or -ir. Here are the regular endings:
| Pronoun | -ar Ending | -er/-ir Ending | Example (hablar) | Example (comer) | Example (vivir) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | -aba | -ía | hablaba | comía | vivía |
| tú | -abas | -ías | hablabas | comías | vivías |
| él/ella/usted | -aba | -ía | hablaba | comía | vivía |
| nosotros | -ábamos | -íamos | hablábamos | comíamos | vivíamos |
| vosotros | -abais | -íais | hablabais | comíais | vivíais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -aban | -ían | hablaban | comían | vivían |
Ellos ___ (comer) juntos todos los días.
How do you say "They used to eat" in Spanish using the imperfect tense (comer)?
comían
For -er verbs in the imperfect, 'ellos' form ends in '-ían.' 'Comieron' is preterite, 'comen' is present, and 'comerán' is future.
Example Sentences
| Usage | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Habitual action | Cuando era niño, jugaba en el parque. | When I was a child, I used to play in the park. |
| Background description | La casa era vieja y tenía un jardín grande. | The house was old and had a big garden. |
| Ongoing past action | Mientras ella leía, yo escribía. | While she was reading, I was writing. |
| Telling time in the past | Eran las ocho cuando llegaste. | It was eight o’clock when you arrived. |
| Describing feelings | Siempre estaba cansado después de la escuela. | I was always tired after school. |
Mientras ella leía, yo escribía.
While she was reading, I was writing.
The imperfect tense describes two ongoing simultaneous actions in the past.
When to Use
The imperfect tense answers the question: “What was happening?” “What used to happen?” or “What was things like?” in the past?
- Repeated or habitual actions: Actions that happened regularly over time.
- Background information: Sets the scene or describes the situation.
- Simultaneous past actions: Describes two ongoing actions at the same time.
- Describing age or time: Tells someone’s age or what time it was in the past.
- Expressing feelings or mental states: Describes emotions or thoughts in the past.
Common Mistakes
- Using preterite instead of imperfect: The preterite describes completed actions, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual situations.
- Ayer fui al parque. (Yesterday I went to the park.) — *complete action
- Cuando era niño, iba al parque. (When I was a child, I used to go to the park.) — *habitual action
- Forgetting accents: Nosotros forms always have an accent (hablábamos, comíamos, vivíamos).
- Incorrect endings: Mixing -ar endings with -er/-ir verbs or vice versa.
- Irregular verb forms: Three verbs are irregular in the imperfect (ver, ir, ser).
Irregular Verbs
Only three verbs are irregular in the imperfect. Here are their full conjugations:
| Pronoun | ir (to go) | ser (to be) | ver (to see) |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | iba | era | veía |
| tú | ibas | eras | veías |
| él/ella/usted | iba | era | veía |
| nosotros | íbamos | éramos | veíamos |
| vosotros | ibais | erais | veíais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | iban | eran | veían |
Example sentences:
- Cuando era niño, iba al río y veía muchos peces.
- When I was a child, I used to go to the river and see many fish.
Summary
The Spanish imperfect tense describes ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past. Use it to talk about what “used to” happen, what was happening, or to set the scene. Regular verbs follow simple endings (–aba for -ar, –ía for -er/-ir), but be sure to memorize the three irregular verbs (ir, ser, ver).
- Describe repeated actions (“used to”)
- Set the scene or give background details
- Talk about simultaneous actions in the past
- Tell time or age in past narration
- Use regular endings or irregular forms for ir, ser, ver
Flashcards (1 of 5)
- Usage: Habitual action
- English Example: When I was a child, I used to play in the park.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
