Regular Imperfect Forms
There are only two sets of endings for regular imperfect verbs in Spanish, one for -ar verbs and one for both -er and -ir verbs.
To conjugate a regular verb in the imperfect tense in Spanish, simply remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir) and add the imperfect ending that matches the subject.
Check out the table of regular imperfect endings below.
Regular Imperfect Verb Endings
Subject -ar Verbs -er and -ir Verbs
yo -aba -ía
tú -abas -ías
él, ella, usted -aba -ía
nosotros -ábamos -íamos
vosotros -abais -íais
ellos, ellas, ustedes -aban -ían
Irregular Imperfect Forms
There are only three verbs with irregular conjugations in the imperfect: ir, ser, and ver. Here they are!
Irregular Imperfect Conjugations
Subject Ir (to go) Ser (to be) Ver (to see)
yo
iba
era
veía
tú
ibas
eras
veías
él, ella, usted
iba
era
veía
nosotros
íbamos
éramos
veíamos
vosotros
ibais
erais
veíais
ellos, ellas, ustedes
iban
eran
veían
Uses of the Imperfect Tense
In general, the imperfect is used to talk about past actions, conditions, or events that occurred habitually or repeatedly or that were in progress at a point in the past. It is also used to tell time, talk about dates, give a person's age, and describe characteristics, conditions, and feelings in the past. Read on for more about these uses of the imperfect.
1. Habitual or Repeated Actions
Habitual or repeated actions are those that were done over and over in the past. These are often things a person used to or would do.
Almorzábamos cada día.
We used to eat lunch together every day.
Todos los sábados las mujeres iban de compras.
Every Saturday the ladies would go shopping.
2. Actions that Were in Progress in the Past
It's quite common to see the imperfect used to talk about something that was happening when something else occurred. It's also used for actions that continued in the past for an unspecified period of time.
When talking about a past action in progress that was interrupted, the action in progress is in the imperfect, while the interrupting action is in the preterite. For more on the differences between the preterite and the imperfect, check out this article!
Iba a clase cuando sonó el teléfono.
I was going to class when the telephone rang.
Mi papá cocinaba cuando entré a casa.
My dad was cooking when I came in the house.
A veces le dolían las manos y las piernas.
Sometimes her hands and feet ached.
3. Times and Dates
The imperfect is used to talk about times and dates in the past.
Eran las tres de la tarde.
It was three o'clock in the afternoon.
Era el 9 de mayo.
It was May 9th.
4. Age
The imperfect is commonly used to talk about age in the past.
La niña tenía 4 años.
The little girl was 4 years old.
Los perros tenían dos años cuando los adopté.
The dogs were two years old when I adopted them.
5. Descriptions of Characteristics, Conditions, and Feelings
The imperfect is used to give descriptions in the past, especially those that set the scene in terms of the senses.
Mi profesor era alto y tenía el pelo ondulado.
My professor was tall and had wavy hair.
El campo era bello.
The countryside was beautiful.
Hacía calor esa noche.
It was hot that night.
Me sentía feliz con mi trabajo nuevo.
I was happy with my new job.
Quería mudarme a otro país.
I wanted to move to another country.
