Spanish Imperfect Past Tense: Usage & Conjugation

Overview

• The Spanish imperfect tense is primarily used for describing past events or actions without a defined endpoint.
• It is one of the most commonly used past tenses in Spanish, along with the preterite tense.

Key Uses of the Imperfect Tense

Habitual or Frequent Past Actions

• Implicit Usage:
  • "Tomaba clases de violín." (I used to take violin classes.)
  • "Caminaba por el parque todos los días camino a casa." (I would walk by the park every day on my way home.)
• Explicit Usage with 'Soler':
  • "Solía tomar clases." (I used to take classes.)
  • "Solía caminar." (I used to walk.)

Emotions, Feelings, and Sensations

• "Era muy feliz en primaria." (I was very happy in elementary school.)
• "Cuando vivía en Alemania, pasaba mucho frío." (When I lived in Germany, I was always very cold.)

Time and Age

• "Era el primero de enero..." (It was the first of January...)
• "Tenía doce años de edad." (I was twelve years old.)

Simultaneous Past Events

• "Mientras cenaba, llamaba a mi madre." (While she was eating dinner, I was calling my mother.)

General Descriptions or Attributes

• "Ella explotaba de orgullo." (She was glowing with pride.)
• "Estaba lloviendo." (It was raining.)
• "La ciudad era más pequeña cuando era joven." (The city was smaller when I was young.)

Indicators for Using the Imperfect Tense

• Use the imperfect tense in descriptive or non-specific contexts often marked by phrases like:
  • Siempre (always)
  • A veces, de vez en cuando (sometimes)
  • Frecuentemente, a menudo (often/frequently)
  • Cada día, todos los días (every day)
  • Cada año (every year)

Forming the Imperfect Tense

• Verb Categories: -ar, -er, and -ir
• Conjugation: Remove the -ar/-er/-ir ending and add:
  • -ar verbs:
    • Yo: -aba
    • Tú: -abas
    • Él/Ella/Usted: -aba
    • Nosotros: -ábamos
    • Vosotros: -abais
    • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: -aban
  • -er/-ir verbs:
    • Yo: -ía
    • Tú: -ías
    • Él/Ella/Usted: -ía
    • Nosotros: -íamos
    • Vosotros: -íais
    • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: -ían

Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect Tense

• Ser (to be):
  • Yo era, Tú eras, Él/Ella/Usted era, Nosotros éramos, Vosotros erais, Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes eran
• Ver (to see):
  • Yo veía, Tú veías, Él/Ella/Usted veía, Nosotros veíamos, Vosotros veíais, Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes veían
• Ir (to go):
  • Yo iba, Tú ibas, Él/Ella/Usted iba, Nosotros íbamos, Vosotros ibais, Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes iban

Conclusion

• The imperfect tense is more flexible in describing ongoing or habitual actions in the past.
• Practice with Lingvist and other resources to strengthen your understanding and usage.
• Remember key conjugations and contexts where the imperfect tense is appropriate.