The imperfect in Spanish
Pretérito imperfecto, indicative
Assertive statements about actions in the past that are ongoing or habitual
Type the forms, check them instantly, and see which tenses and irregularities need work.
When to use it
- Ongoing actions and background in the pastLlovía cuando salí. (It was raining when I left.)
- Past habits ("used to")De niño jugaba al fútbol. (As a child, I used to play soccer.)
- Descriptions, time, and age in the pastEran las tres y yo tenía diez años. (It was three o'clock and I was ten years old.)
Regular verbs
The imperfect of a regular -ar, -er, and -ir verb.
Irregular verbs in the imperfect
Examples
Antes, Ana era la cantante del coro escolar.
Ana used to be the singer in the school choir.
Antes, Ana siempre estaba en la biblioteca después de clase.
Ana used to be in the library after class.
Antes, Ana tenía pocas notas para su presentación.
Ana used to have few notes for her presentation.
De niña, Ana iba a Madrid en tren cada verano.
As a child, Ana went to Madrid by train every summer.
De niña, la abuela Carmen hacía flores de papel para fiestas.
As a child, Grandma Carmen used to make paper flowers for parties.
Antes, Ana hablaba de música con Lucía después de clase.
Ana used to talk about music with Lucía after class.