Spanish Imperfect Tense (Pretérito Imperfecto)

The imperfect tense (Pretérito Imperfecto) is used to describe ongoing, repeated, or habitual actions in the past. It’s often used to set the scene, describe background situations, or talk about what was happening or what someone used to do. This tense is essential for telling stories and describing past situations in Spanish.

When to Use the Spanish Imperfect Tense

The Spanish imperfect tense serves several important functions:

1. Habitual or repeated actions in the past

  • Jugaba al fútbol todos los domingos. (I used to play soccer every Sunday.)

  • Siempre comíamos paella los domingos. (We always ate paella on Sundays.)

2. Background information in stories

  • Era un día soleado y los pájaros cantaban. (It was a sunny day and the birds were singing.)

  • Llevaba un vestido rojo cuando la conocí. (She was wearing a red dress when I met her.)

3. Ongoing actions in the past

  • Estudiaba cuando llamaste. (I was studying when you called.)

  • Mientras yo cocinaba, él leía el periódico. (While I was cooking, he was reading the newspaper.)

4. Descriptions of physical and mental states

  • Tenía diez años cuando nos mudamos. (I was ten years old when we moved.)

  • Estaba muy cansado después del viaje. (I was very tired after the trip.)

5. Telling time in the past

  • Eran las tres de la tarde. (It was three in the afternoon.)

  • Era medianoche cuando llegamos. (It was midnight when we arrived.)

Spanish Imperfect Tense Conjugation

One of the advantages of the imperfect tense is that it’s relatively regular, with only three irregular verbs.

Regular Verb Conjugations

Regular -AR Verbs (Hablar - to speak)

  • yo hablaba (I used to speak/was speaking)

  • tú hablabas (you used to speak/were speaking)

  • él/ella/usted hablaba (he/she used to speak/was speaking, you used to speak/were speaking [formal])

  • nosotros/as hablábamos (we used to speak/were speaking)

  • vosotros/as hablabais (you all used to speak/were speaking [Spain])

  • ellos/ellas/ustedes hablaban (they/you all used to speak/were speaking)

Regular -ER/-IR Verbs (Comer/Vivir - to eat/to live)

  • yo comía/vivía (I used to eat/live, was eating/living)

  • tú comías/vivías (you used to eat/live, were eating/living)

  • él/ella/usted comía/vivía (he/she/you used to eat/live, was/were eating/living)

  • nosotros/as comíamos/vivíamos (we used to eat/live, were eating/living)

  • vosotros/as comíais/vivíais (you all used to eat/live, were eating/living [Spain])

  • ellos/ellas/ustedes comían/vivían (they/you all used to eat/live, were eating/living)

Note: As you can see, -er and -ir verbs have identical conjugations in the imperfect tense.

Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect

Only three verbs have irregular imperfect conjugations in Spanish:

Ser (to be)

  • yo era

  • tú eras

  • él/ella/usted era

  • nosotros/as éramos

  • vosotros/as erais

  • ellos/ellas/ustedes eran

Ir (to go)

  • yo iba

  • tú ibas

  • él/ella/usted iba

  • nosotros/as íbamos

  • vosotros/as ibais

  • ellos/ellas/ustedes iban

Ver (to see)

  • yo veía

  • tú veías

  • él/ella/usted veía

  • nosotros/as veíamos

  • vosotros/as veíais

  • ellos/ellas/ustedes veían

Imperfect vs. Simple Past (Preterite)

Understanding when to use the imperfect versus the simple past is crucial for Spanish learners:

Imperfect (Ongoing/Repeated Actions)

  • Trabajaba en un banco. (I used to work/was working in a bank.)

  • Visitábamos a nuestros abuelos cada verano. (We used to visit our grandparents every summer.)

  • Cuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol. (When I was a child, I used to play soccer.)

Simple Past (Completed Actions)

  • Trabajé en un banco durante tres años. (I worked in a bank for three years.)

  • Visitamos a nuestros abuelos el verano pasado. (We visited our grandparents last summer.)

  • Ayer jugué al fútbol con mis amigos. (Yesterday I played soccer with my friends.)

Combined in Narratives

The imperfect and simple past often work together in storytelling:

  • Hacía sol y los niños jugaban en el parque cuando de repente empezó a llover.

    (It was sunny and the children were playing in the park when suddenly it began to rain.)

  • Cocinaba (imperfect) cuando llamaste (simple past). (I was cooking when you called.)

Time Expressions with Imperfect

Certain time expressions are commonly used with the imperfect tense:

  • siempre(always)

    Siempre estudiaba por la noche.

  • todos los días/meses/años(every day/month/year)

    Todos los días caminaba al trabajo.

  • normalmente/generalmente(normally/generally)

    Normalmente cenábamos a las ocho.

  • a menudo/frecuentemente(often/frequently)

    Iba al gimnasio frecuentemente.

  • mientras(while)

    Mientras dormía, alguien entró en la casa.

  • de niño/a(as a child)

    De niña, vivía en el campo.

  • en aquella época(at that time/in those days)

    En aquella época, no teníamos internet.

Common Uses and Expressions

1. Age in the past

  • Tenía ocho años cuando aprendí a nadar. (I was eight years old when I learned to swim.)

  • ¿Cuántos años tenías cuando te graduaste? (How old were you when you graduated?)

2. Feelings and conditions

  • Estaba muy nervioso antes del examen. (I was very nervous before the exam.)

  • Teníamos mucho calor ese día. (We were very hot that day.)

3. Time of day

  • Eran las cinco de la tarde cuando salimos. (It was five in the afternoon when we left.)

  • ¿Qué hora era? (What time was it?)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Confusing with simple past

Remember that the imperfect is for ongoing, habitual, or background actions, while the simple past is for completed, specific actions:

  • Correct imperfect: Cuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol todos los días.

  • Correct simple past: Ayer jugué al fútbol con mis amigos.

2. Missing accent marks

Pay attention to the accent marks, especially in the nosotros/as forms of -ar verbs:

  • Correct: hablábamos (we used to speak)

  • Incorrect: hablabamos (missing accent)

3. Using imperfect where simple past is needed

For one-time, completed actions, use the simple past, not the imperfect:

  • Incorrect: Ayer iba al cine. (If you’re saying you completed the action of going)

  • Correct: Ayer fui al cine. (I went to the cinema yesterday - completed action)

Practice What You’ve Learned

Ready to test your knowledge of the Spanish imperfect tense? Head over to our Practice page and select the pretérito imperfecto option to practice with unlimited new sentences and examples.

The practice tool will generate new sentences each time, allowing you to reinforce your understanding of imperfect tense conjugations and usage in various contexts.