{"id":4694,"date":"2019-04-24T10:00:09","date_gmt":"2019-04-24T18:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mydailyspanish.com\/?p=4694"},"modified":"2022-08-24T22:37:57","modified_gmt":"2022-08-25T06:37:57","slug":"spanish-imperfect-tense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mydailyspanish.com\/spanish-imperfect-tense\/","title":{"rendered":"A No-Nonsense Guide to Spanish Imperfect Tense"},"content":{"rendered":"

The imperfect tense, also known as the pret\u00e9rito imperfecto<\/em>, is super useful for talking about the past. Luckily, it\u2019s not too complicated, either! Read on to learn how it works.<\/p>\n

\"Imperfect<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the Spanish imperfect tense?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

The imperfect tense is a type of past tense. It\u2019s used to talk about something that used to happen<\/strong>, or was happening<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

When do I use it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

There are a few ways to use the imperfect tense. Here are the main ones:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Describing continuing states\/events\/feelings<\/strong> in the past<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Let\u2019s say you\u2019re telling a story set in the past, and you want to describe the weather, someone\u2019s actions, and their mood:<\/p>\n

    Llov\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> mucho, y Claudia <\/em>lloraba<\/strong><\/em>. <\/em>Estaba<\/strong><\/em> triste porque <\/em>ten\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> el coraz\u00f3n roto.<\/em><\/p>\n

    (It was raining a lot, and Claudia was crying. She was sad because she had a broken heart.)<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

              2. Talking about repeated actions<\/strong> in the past<\/p>\n

    This is when you want to talk about something that used to happen, like something you used to do when you were younger, or something that used to happen over a period of time:<\/p>\n

    Cuando <\/em>era<\/strong><\/em> peque\u00f1o, <\/em>iba<\/strong><\/em> al parque cada semana.<\/em><\/p>\n

    (When I was little, I went to the park every week.)<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

               3. Setting the scene of what was happening<\/strong> when something else interrupted it<\/p>\n

    This one is really useful when you\u2019re telling a story where an event occurs (preterite), and it interrupts another ongoing event or situation (imperfect).<\/p>\n

    Mientras <\/em>estudiaba<\/strong><\/em>, mi perro entr\u00f3 en mi cuarto y me distrajo.<\/em><\/p>\n

    (While I was studying, my dog came into my room and distracted me.)<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    When you\u2019re using the imperfect in this way, you might want to use it with the gerund (link to gerund article if available).  You\u2019d use the imperfect progressive (estar <\/em>+ gerund) for the action that was ongoing, and the preterite (link to preterite article if available) for the interrupting verb:<\/p>\n

    Estaba<\/strong><\/em> viendo la tele cuando, de repente, son\u00f3 el tel\u00e9fono.<\/em><\/p>\n

    (He was watching TV when, all of a sudden, the phone rang.)<\/p>\n

            4. When using reported speech<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Sometimes, you want to report what someone else said, but you don\u2019t want to use a direct quote. Here\u2019s the difference:<\/p>\n

    Direct speech<\/strong>: Carlos said, \u201cI\u2019m happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Indirect\/reported speech<\/strong>: Carlos said that he was<\/strong> happy.<\/p>\n

    Notice that we use \u201cwas\u201d in the past tense. This would be the same in Spanish.<\/p>\n

    Direct speech: <\/strong>Carlos dijo: \u00abEstoy feliz\u00bb.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Indirect\/reported speech: <\/strong>Carlos dijo que <\/em>estaba <\/strong><\/em>feliz.<\/em><\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    How do I form the Spanish imperfect tense?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The imperfect tense is pretty simple to form.<\/p>\n

    For –<\/strong>ar<\/strong><\/em> verbs<\/strong>, you remove the stem (-ar<\/em>) from the infinitive, then add the following endings:<\/p>\n\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    yo<\/em><\/td>\n-aba<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    t\u00fa<\/em><\/td>\n-abas<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \u00e9l\/ella\/usted<\/em><\/td>\n-aba<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    nosotros\/as<\/em><\/td>\n-\u00e1bamos<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    vosotros\/as<\/em><\/td>\n-abais<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    ellos\/ellas\/ustedes<\/em><\/td>\n-aban<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Check out these example sentences to help give you a feel of when this tense is used:<\/p>\n\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Yo <\/em>sal\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> mucho cuando <\/em>era<\/strong><\/em> m\u00e1s joven.<\/em><\/td>\nI used to go out a lot when I was younger.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \u00bf<\/em>Estabas<\/strong><\/em> en la casa cuando llam\u00e9 a la puerta?<\/em><\/td>\nWere you in the house when I knocked on the door?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Juan <\/em>hablaba<\/strong><\/em> como si fuera un experto.<\/em><\/td>\nJuan spoke as if he were an expert.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Nad\u00e1bamos<\/strong><\/em> aqu\u00ed cada viernes.<\/em><\/td>\nWe used to swim here every Friday.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Mandabais<\/strong><\/em> cartas.<\/em><\/td>\nYou (plural) used to send letters.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Estaban<\/strong><\/em> bailando cuando Pedro los interrumpi\u00f3. <\/em><\/td>\nThey were dancing when Pedro interrupted them.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    For –<\/strong>er<\/strong><\/em> and –<\/strong>ir<\/strong><\/em>  verbs<\/strong>, remove the stem (the –er <\/em>or the –ir<\/em>) from the infinitive, then add:<\/p>\n\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    yo<\/em><\/td>\n-\u00eda<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    t\u00fa<\/em><\/td>\n-\u00edas<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \u00e9l\/ella\/usted<\/em><\/td>\n-\u00eda<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    nosotros\/as<\/em><\/td>\n-\u00edamos<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    vosotros\/as<\/em><\/td>\n-\u00edais<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    ellos\/ellas\/ustedes<\/em><\/td>\n-\u00edan<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Take a look at some examples:<\/p>\n\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Dije que <\/em>ten\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> miedo.<\/em><\/td>\nI said that I was scared.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Hac\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> calor.<\/em><\/td>\nIt was hot (weather).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \u00bfCon padres tan tolerantes, <\/em>pod\u00edas<\/strong><\/em> hacer lo que te diera la gana cuando <\/em>eras<\/strong><\/em> joven?<\/em><\/td>\nWith such relaxed parents, could you do whatever you wanted when you were growing up?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Irina y yo <\/em>sal\u00edamos<\/strong><\/em> hasta que apareci\u00f3 su ex.<\/em><\/td>\nIrina and I were going out until her ex showed up.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Volv\u00edais<\/strong><\/em> a casa tarde todos los d\u00edas.<\/em><\/td>\nYou (plural) used to return home late every day.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Beb\u00edan<\/strong><\/em> demasiado antes de que asistieran a Alcoh\u00f3licos An\u00f3nimos.<\/em><\/td>\nThey used to drink too much before they went to AA.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Irregular verbs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Good news! Not many verbs are irregular in the imperfect. The only ones that are irregular are ir<\/em>, ser<\/em>, and ver<\/em> (and certain words that are connected to ver<\/em>, like prever<\/em>).<\/p>\n

    Ir <\/strong><\/em>(to go)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n
    iba<\/em><\/td>\n\u00edbamos<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    ibas<\/em><\/td>\nibais<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    iba<\/em><\/td>\niban<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n

    Examples:<\/p>\n\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Iba<\/strong><\/em> a decirte algo.<\/em><\/td>\nI was going to tell you something.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \u00bf<\/em>Ibas<\/strong><\/em> para casa cuando me llamaste?<\/em><\/td>\nWere you going (on your way) home when you called me?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Ernesto <\/em>iba<\/strong><\/em> al centro comercial frecuentemente.<\/em><\/td>\nErnesto used to go to the mall frequently.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Antes de que falleciera, mi abuela y yo <\/em>\u00edbamos<\/strong><\/em> de vacaciones cada a\u00f1o.<\/em><\/td>\nBefore she passed away, my grandma and I used to go on holiday every year.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Cuando <\/em>erais<\/strong><\/em> peque\u00f1os, <\/em>ibais<\/strong><\/em> al mercado con vuestra mam\u00e1 cada fin de semana.<\/em><\/td>\nWhen you (plural, informal) were little, you used to go to the market with your mom every weekend.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Los chicos <\/em>iban<\/strong><\/em> a clase cuando Pedro se desmay\u00f3.<\/em><\/td>\nThe boys were on going to (on the way to) class when Pedro passed out.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Ser <\/strong><\/em>(to be)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n
    era<\/em><\/td>\n\u00e9ramos<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    eras<\/em><\/td>\nerais<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    era<\/em><\/td>\neran<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Cuando yo <\/em>era<\/strong><\/em> joven, me <\/em>gustaban<\/strong><\/em> los peluches.<\/em><\/td>\nWhen I was young, I liked cuddly toys.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Eras<\/strong><\/em> la chica m\u00e1s amable del grupo.<\/em><\/td>\nYou were the nicest girl in the group.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Mar\u00eda dijo que su marido <\/em>era<\/strong><\/em> guapo.<\/em><\/td>\nMar\u00eda said that her husband was handsome.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \u00c9ramos<\/strong><\/em> valientes en esa \u00e9poca.<\/em><\/td>\nWe were brave in that period.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Miguel y t\u00fa <\/em>erais<\/strong><\/em> una pareja bonita pero ya se acab\u00f3.<\/em><\/td>\nMiguel and you were a lovely couple but it\u2019s over now.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Eran<\/strong><\/em> las ocho de la ma\u00f1ana.<\/em><\/td>\nIt was eight o\u2019clock in the morning.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Ver <\/strong><\/em>(to see)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n
    ve\u00eda<\/em><\/td>\nve\u00edamos<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    ve\u00edas<\/em><\/td>\nve\u00edais<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    ve\u00eda<\/em><\/td>\nve\u00edan<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Ve\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> dos pel\u00edculas cada noche.<\/em><\/td>\nI used to watch two films a night.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \u00bf<\/em>Ve\u00edas<\/strong><\/em> a menudo a Juan?<\/em><\/td>\nDid you used to see Juan often?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    La luz <\/em>estaba<\/strong><\/em> apagada. Borja no <\/em>ve\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> nada.<\/em><\/td>\nThe light was switched off. Borja couldn\u2019t see anything.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Mi ex y yo nos <\/em>ve\u00edamos<\/strong><\/em> cada d\u00eda.<\/em><\/td>\nMy ex and I used to see each other every day.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \u00bf<\/em>Ve\u00edais<\/strong><\/em> dibujos animados cuando <\/em>erais<\/strong><\/em> ni\u00f1os?<\/em><\/td>\nDid you guys watch cartoons when you were kids?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Ve\u00edan<\/strong><\/em> la tele cada d\u00eda.<\/em><\/td>\nThey used to watch TV every day.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    There you have it! Practice a little every day, and the imperfect will hopefully start coming naturally to you. Hasta la pr\u00f3xima!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The imperfect tense, also known as the pret\u00e9rito imperfecto, is super useful for talking about the past. Luckily, it\u2019s not too complicated, either! Read on to learn how it works. What is the Spanish imperfect tense? The imperfect tense is a type of past tense. It\u2019s used to talk about something that used to happen, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":5523,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","tve_updated_post":"

    The imperfect tense, also known as the pret\u00e9rito imperfecto<\/em>, is super useful for talking about the past. Luckily, it\u2019s not too complicated, either! Read on to learn how it works.<\/p><\/div>

    \"Imperfect<\/span><\/div>
    \n\t
    \n\t\tQuick Navigation<\/span>\n\t\t
    What is the Spanish imperfect tense?<\/a><\/div>
    When do I use it?<\/a><\/div>
    How do I form it?\n<\/a><\/div><\/div>
    Irregular verbs\n<\/a><\/div>
    Ser (to be)\n<\/a><\/div>
    Ver (to see)\n<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>

    What is the Spanish imperfect tense?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>

    The imperfect tense is a type of past tense. It\u2019s used to talk about something that used to happen<\/strong>, or was happening<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>

    When do I use it?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>

    There are a few ways to use the imperfect tense. Here are the main ones:<\/p>

    1. Describing continuing states\/events\/feelings<\/strong> in the past<\/p><\/li><\/ol>

      Let\u2019s say you\u2019re telling a story set in the past, and you want to describe the weather, someone\u2019s actions, and their mood:<\/p>

      Llov\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> mucho, y Claudia <\/em>lloraba<\/strong><\/em>. <\/em>Estaba<\/strong><\/em> triste porque <\/em>ten\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> el coraz\u00f3n roto.<\/em><\/p>

      (It was raining a lot, and Claudia was crying. She was sad because she had a broken heart.)<\/p>\n<\/div>

      ___TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW__<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><p><iframe class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/JER2en0ZRiGUE\" width=\"480\" height=\"207\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/sad-crying-alone-JER2en0ZRiGUE\">via GIPHY<\/a><\/p><\/div>__TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW___<\/div><\/div>

                2. Talking about repeated actions<\/strong> in the past<\/p>

      This is when you want to talk about something that used to happen, like something you used to do when you were younger, or something that used to happen over a period of time:<\/p>

      Cuando <\/em>era<\/strong><\/em> peque\u00f1o, <\/em>iba<\/strong><\/em> al parque cada semana.<\/em><\/p>

      (When I was little, I went to the park every week.)<\/p><\/div>

      ___TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW__<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><p><iframe class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/QK3DCCIombMhq\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/friends-running-exercise-QK3DCCIombMhq\">via GIPHY<\/a><\/p><\/div>__TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW___<\/div><\/div>

                 3. Setting the scene of what was happening<\/strong> when something else interrupted it<\/p>

      This one is really useful when you\u2019re telling a story where an event occurs (preterite), and it interrupts another ongoing event or situation (imperfect).<\/p>

      Mientras <\/em>estudiaba<\/strong><\/em>, mi perro entr\u00f3 en mi cuarto y me distrajo.<\/em><\/p>

      (While I was studying, my dog came into my room and distracted me.)<\/p><\/div>

      ___TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW__<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><p><iframe class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/mCRJDo24UvJMA\" width=\"480\" height=\"348\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/dog-shiba-inu-typing-mCRJDo24UvJMA\">via GIPHY<\/a><\/p><\/div>__TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW___<\/div><\/div>

      <\/p>

      When you\u2019re using the imperfect in this way, you might want to use it with the gerund (link to gerund article if available).  You\u2019d use the imperfect progressive (estar <\/em>+ gerund) for the action that was ongoing, and the preterite (link to preterite article if available) for the interrupting verb:<\/p>

      Estaba<\/strong><\/em> viendo la tele cuando, de repente, son\u00f3 el tel\u00e9fono.<\/em><\/p>

      (He was watching TV when, all of a sudden, the phone rang.)<\/p>

              4. When using reported speech<\/strong><\/p>

      Sometimes, you want to report what someone else said, but you don\u2019t want to use a direct quote. Here\u2019s the difference:<\/p>

      Direct speech<\/strong>: Carlos said, \u201cI\u2019m happy.\u201d<\/p>

      Indirect\/reported speech<\/strong>: Carlos said that he was<\/strong> happy.<\/p>

      Notice that we use \u201cwas\u201d in the past tense. This would be the same in Spanish.<\/p>

      Direct speech: <\/strong>Carlos dijo: \u00abEstoy feliz\u00bb.<\/em><\/p>

      Indirect\/reported speech: <\/strong>Carlos dijo que <\/em>estaba <\/strong><\/em>feliz.<\/em><\/p><\/div>

      How do I form the Spanish imperfect tense?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>

      The imperfect tense is pretty simple to form.<\/p>For -<\/strong>ar<\/strong><\/em> verbs<\/strong>, you remove the stem (-ar<\/em>) from the infinitive, then add the following endings:<\/div>

      <\/thead>

      yo<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td>

      -aba<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      t\u00fa<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      -abas<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      \u00e9l\/ella\/usted<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      -aba<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      nosotros\/as<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td>

      -\u00e1bamos<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      vosotros\/as<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td>

      -abais<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      ellos\/ellas\/ustedes<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td>

      -aban<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

      Check out these example sentences to help give you a feel of when this tense is used:\n<\/p><\/div>

      <\/thead>

      Yo <\/em>sal\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> mucho cuando <\/em>era<\/strong><\/em> m\u00e1s joven.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      I used to go out a lot when I was younger.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      \u00bf<\/em>Estabas<\/strong><\/em> en la casa cuando llam\u00e9 a la puerta?<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      Were you in the house when I knocked on the door?\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Juan <\/em>hablaba<\/strong><\/em> como si fuera un experto.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      Juan spoke as if he were an expert.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Nad\u00e1bamos<\/strong><\/em> aqu\u00ed cada viernes.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      We used to swim here every Friday.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Mandabais<\/strong><\/em> cartas.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      You (plural) used to send letters.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Estaban<\/strong><\/em> bailando cuando Pedro los interrumpi\u00f3. <\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      They were dancing when Pedro interrupted them.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

      For -<\/strong>er<\/strong><\/em> and -<\/strong>ir<\/strong><\/em>  verbs<\/strong>, remove the stem (the -er <\/em>or the -ir<\/em>) from the infinitive, then add:<\/p><\/div>

      <\/thead>

      yo<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      -\u00eda<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      t\u00fa<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      -\u00edas<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      \u00e9l\/ella\/usted<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      -\u00eda<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      nosotros\/as<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td>

      -\u00edamos<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      vosotros\/as<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td>

      -\u00edais<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      ellos\/ellas\/ustedes<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td>

      -\u00edan<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

      Take a look at some examples:<\/p><\/div>

      <\/thead>

      Dije que <\/em>ten\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> miedo.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      I said that I was scared.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Hac\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> calor.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      It was hot (weather).\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      \u00bfCon padres tan tolerantes, <\/em>pod\u00edas<\/strong><\/em> hacer lo que te diera la gana cuando <\/em>eras<\/strong><\/em> joven?<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      With such relaxed parents, could you do whatever you wanted when you were growing up?\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Irina y yo <\/em>sal\u00edamos<\/strong><\/em> hasta que apareci\u00f3 su ex.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      Irina and I were going out until her ex showed up.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Volv\u00edais<\/strong><\/em> a casa tarde todos los d\u00edas.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      You (plural) used to return home late every day.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Beb\u00edan<\/strong><\/em> demasiado antes de que asistieran a Alcoh\u00f3licos An\u00f3nimos.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      They used to drink too much before they went to AA.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

      Irregular verbs<\/strong>\n<\/h3><\/div>

      Good news! Not many verbs are irregular in the imperfect. The only ones that are irregular are ir<\/em>, ser<\/em>, and ver<\/em> (and certain words that are connected to ver<\/em>, like prever<\/em>).<\/p>

      Ir <\/strong><\/em>(to go)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

      <\/thead>

      iba<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      \u00edbamos<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      ibas<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      ibais<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      iba<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      iban<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

      ___TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW__<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><p><iframe class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/d3MLTXYlCAZqDNLi\" width=\"480\" height=\"202\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/yosub-d3MLTXYlCAZqDNLi\">via GIPHY<\/a><\/p><\/div>__TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW___<\/div><\/div>

      Examples:\n<\/p><\/div>

      <\/thead>

      Iba<\/strong><\/em> a decirte algo.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      I was going to tell you something.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      \u00bf<\/em>Ibas<\/strong><\/em> para casa cuando me llamaste?<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      Were you going (on your way) home when you called me?\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Ernesto <\/em>iba<\/strong><\/em> al centro comercial frecuentemente.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      Ernesto used to go to the mall frequently.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Antes de que falleciera, mi abuela y yo <\/em>\u00edbamos<\/strong><\/em> de vacaciones cada a\u00f1o.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      Before she passed away, my grandma and I used to go on holiday every year.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Cuando <\/em>erais<\/strong><\/em> peque\u00f1os, <\/em>ibais<\/strong><\/em> al mercado con vuestra mam\u00e1 cada fin de semana.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      When you (plural, informal) were little, you used to go to the market with your mom every weekend.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Los chicos <\/em>iban<\/strong><\/em> a clase cuando Pedro se desmay\u00f3.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      The boys were on going to (on the way to) class when Pedro passed out.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

      Ser <\/strong><\/em>(to be)<\/strong>\n<\/h3><\/div>
      <\/thead>

      era<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      \u00e9ramos<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      eras<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      erais<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      era<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      eran<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

      ___TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW__<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><p><iframe class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/8OVxBBltj9VklXAKpZ\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/paidoff-trutv-paid-off-po111-8OVxBBltj9VklXAKpZ\">via GIPHY<\/a><\/p><\/div>__TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW___<\/div><\/div>
      <\/thead>

      Cuando yo <\/em>era<\/strong><\/em> joven, me <\/em>gustaban<\/strong><\/em> los peluches.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      When I was young, I liked cuddly toys.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Eras<\/strong><\/em> la chica m\u00e1s amable del grupo.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      You were the nicest girl in the group.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Mar\u00eda dijo que su marido <\/em>era<\/strong><\/em> guapo.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      Mar\u00eda said that her husband was handsome.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      \u00c9ramos<\/strong><\/em> valientes en esa \u00e9poca.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      We were brave in that period.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Miguel y t\u00fa <\/em>erais<\/strong><\/em> una pareja bonita pero ya se acab\u00f3.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      Miguel and you were a lovely couple but it\u2019s over now.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Eran<\/strong><\/em> las ocho de la ma\u00f1ana.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      It was eight o\u2019clock in the morning.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

      Ver <\/strong><\/em>(to see)<\/strong>\n<\/h3><\/div>
      <\/thead>

      ve\u00eda<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      ve\u00edamos<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      ve\u00edas<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      ve\u00edais<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      ve\u00eda<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      ve\u00edan<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

      ___TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW__<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><p><iframe class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/xUySTTZjRJ7w414lEc\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/filmeditor-will-ferrell-elf-xUySTTZjRJ7w414lEc\">via GIPHY<\/a><\/p><\/div>__TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW___<\/div><\/div>
      <\/thead>

      Ve\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> dos pel\u00edculas cada noche.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      I used to watch two films a night.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      \u00bf<\/em>Ve\u00edas<\/strong><\/em> a menudo a Juan?<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      Did you used to see Juan often?\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      La luz <\/em>estaba<\/strong><\/em> apagada. Borja no <\/em>ve\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> nada.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      The light was switched off. Borja couldn\u2019t see anything.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Mi ex y yo nos <\/em>ve\u00edamos<\/strong><\/em> cada d\u00eda.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      My ex and I used to see each other every day.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      \u00bf<\/em>Ve\u00edais<\/strong><\/em> dibujos animados cuando <\/em>erais<\/strong><\/em> ni\u00f1os?<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      Did you guys watch cartoons when you were kids?\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr>

      Ve\u00edan<\/strong><\/em> la tele cada d\u00eda.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/div><\/td>

      They used to watch TV every day.\n<\/p><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>

      There you have it! Practice a little every day, and the imperfect will hopefully start coming naturally to you. Hasta la pr\u00f3xima!<\/p><\/div>

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