|
HABLAR (to speak) |
APRENDER (to learn) |
VIVIR (to live) |
|
hablaba hablabas hablaba hablábamos hablabais hablaban |
aprendía aprendías aprendía aprendíamos aprendíais aprendían |
vivía vivías vivía vivíamos vivíais vivían |
The only irregular verbs in the imperfect tense are:
|
IR (to go) |
SER (to be) |
VER (to see) |
|
iba ibas iba íbamos ibais iban |
era eras era éramos erais eran |
veía veías veía veíamos veíais veían |
USES OF THE IMPERFECT
The imperfect is used for the following:
To describe repeated habitual actions in the past (the equivalent of the English “used to”).
Clues for the selection of the imperfect are adverbs and adverbial phrases such as:
· todos los días,
· siempre,
· muchas veces
· a menudo
· con frecuencia
To describe (physical or emotional states) and background in the past:
Example:
|
De niño Carlos era ya era muy alto y delgado |
As a child Carlos was already very tall and slim |
|
Era un día lluvioso de invierno y había sólo unos pocos estudiantes en la clase…. |
It was a rainy winter day and there were only a few students in class… |
|
De niña quería ser actriz |
As a little girl I wanted to become an actrice |
The imperfect also describes an action in progress in the past:
Example:
|
Estaba preparando la cena cuando tu llamaste |
I was preparing dinner when you called |
To describe two simultaneous past actions in progress, with mientras (while):
Example:
|
Tú veías la tele mientras yo dibujaba |
You were watching TV while I was drawing |