The imperfect
Hablaba, comía, era: what used to be, and what was going on.
The imperfect describes the past: how things were, what used to happen, and what was going on when something else happened.
| hablar | comer, vivir | |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaba | comía |
| tú | hablabas | comías |
| él, ella, usted | hablaba | comía |
| nosotros | hablábamos | comíamos |
| vosotros | hablabais | comíais |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | hablaban | comían |
Only three verbs are irregular: ser (era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran), ir (iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban) and ver (veía). The "I" and "he, she" forms are the same, so the pronoun is said more often.
What it's for
- Habits, what used to happen: De niño jugaba al fútbol "As a child I used to play soccer".
- Descriptions and background: Hacía sol y la playa estaba llena "It was sunny and the beach was full".
- Time and age in the past: Eran las diez, Tenía veinte años.
- What was going on when something happened, which takes the preterite.
- When I was little, we lived in the country.
- I was reading when the phone rang.
- I was sleeping when you arrived.
Preterite or imperfect
The preterite moves a story forward: this happened, then that. The imperfect stops to describe: how things were, what was going on.
| Preterite | Imperfect |
|---|---|
| Ayer fui al cine. Yesterday I went to the movies. | Iba al cine todos los sábados. I used to go to the movies every Saturday. |
| Comí paella. I ate paella. | Comía cuando llamaste. I was eating when you called. |
| Fue un viaje largo. It was a long trip, now over. | Era muy simpático. He was very nice, as I knew him. |
A few verbs change their meaning with the tense: conocí "I met", conocía "I knew"; supe "I found out", sabía "I knew"; no quise "I refused", no quería "I didn't want to".
Cards from this guide
10 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Past, future and commands cards.
What's the 'I' form of hablar in the imperfect?
hablaba
What's the 'we' form of comer in the imperfect?
comíamos
What are the imperfect forms of ser?
era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran
How do you say 'I used to play soccer'?
Jugaba al fútbol.
Preterite or imperfect: which describes how things were?
The imperfect: Hacía sol.
How do you say 'I was reading when the phone rang'?
Leía cuando sonó el teléfono.
Preterite or imperfect: which moves a story forward?
The preterite: Llegó, me vio y se fue.
How do you say 'I was twenty years old', in a story?
Tenía veinte años.
What's the difference between conocí and conocía?
conocí is 'I met'; conocía is 'I knew'.
What are the imperfect forms of ir?
iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban