Imperfect tense (pretérito imperfecto)

A2

Grammar path · Lesson 27 of 86 · Stage A2 · The past

Use the imperfect to describe how things were in the past: habits, descriptions of people and places, ages, times and actions in progress. Think of it as the 'used to' or 'was ...ing' tense, with no clear start or end. Regular -ar verbs take -aba (hablaba), while -er and -ir verbs take -ía (comía, vivía). Only three verbs are irregular: ser (era), ir (iba) and ver (veía). It is most often confused with the preterite: the preterite reports a finished event (comí), while the imperfect paints the background or the routine (comía).

Practise this lesson · 9 sentences

Form

Affirmativesujeto + verbo en imperfecto (-aba / -ía)
De niño, jugaba al fútbol todos los días.As a child, I played soccer every day.
Negativesujeto + no + verbo en imperfecto
Antes no tomaba café.I didn't use to drink coffee before.
Question¿(palabra interrogativa) + verbo en imperfecto + sujeto?
¿Dónde vivían ustedes en 2010?Where did you all live in 2010?

When to use it

Past habits and routines

Use it for things that happened regularly in the past, like English 'used to' or 'would'.

Cuando era niña, visitaba a mis abuelos los domingos.When I was a little girl, I used to visit my grandparents on Sundays.
Mi padre siempre leía el periódico en el desayuno.My father always read the newspaper at breakfast.

Descriptions and background

Use it to describe people, places, weather, time and age in the past. It sets the scene of a story.

Eran las ocho y hacía mucho frío.It was eight o'clock and it was very cold.
Mi primera casa tenía un jardín muy bonito.My first house had a very beautiful garden.

Actions in progress

Use it for an action that was in progress at a past moment, often alongside another action or interrupted by an event.

Yo leía mientras ellos veían la tele.I was reading while they were watching TV.
Cenábamos cuando sonó el teléfono.We were having dinner when the phone rang.

Imperfect: regular endings and the 3 irregular verbs

yo / él / ella / ustedhablaba · comía · vivía
túhablabas · comías · vivías
nosotros / nosotrashablábamos · comíamos · vivíamos
vosotros / vosotras (España)hablabais · comíais · vivíais
ellos / ellas / ustedeshablaban · comían · vivían
serera · eras · era · éramos · erais · eran
iriba · ibas · iba · íbamos · ibais · iban
verveía · veías · veía · veíamos · veíais · veían

Signal words

antessiempretodos los díasde niñocuando era pequeñomientrasa menudonormalmentea vecesgeneralmente

Don't confuse it with

Preterite vs imperfect

Choose the imperfect when you describe the background, a habit or something in progress without focusing on when it ended (comía todos los días). If you report a specific, completed event with a clear time like ayer or en 2015, use the preterite (comí ayer).

Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate regular verbs in the imperfect?

For -ar verbs add -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -aban (hablaba). For -er and -ir verbs add -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -ían (comía, vivía).

How many irregular verbs does the imperfect have?

Only three: ser (era), ir (iba) and ver (veía). Every other verb is regular, even tener (tenía) and hacer (hacía).

When do I use the imperfect instead of the preterite?

Use the imperfect for habits, descriptions and actions in progress. Use the preterite for completed events at a specific moment.

How do I say 'used to' in Spanish?

Just put the verb in the imperfect: jugaba means 'I used to play'. You can also use solía + infinitive, as in solía jugar.

Which tense is used for time and age in the past?

Usually the imperfect: eran las tres for the time, and tenía diez años for age.

More in Past tenses

Present perfect (pretérito perfecto)A2Preterite: regular verbsA2Preterite: irregular verbsA2Preterite vs imperfectA2Past perfect (pluscuamperfecto)B1
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