-aba/-abas/-aba/-ábamos/-abais/-aban
Imperfect -AR Verbs
Use these endings for regular -ar verbs to describe what you used to do or what was happening in the past.
How It Works
The imperfect tense is one of the two simple past tenses in Spanish. For regular -ar verbs, its conjugation is very straightforward and has no irregulars.
To form it, simply remove the -ar ending from the infinitive and add the appropriate imperfect ending. Let's use hablar (to speak) as an example:
- yo: hablaba (I was speaking / I used to speak)
- tú: hablabas (you were speaking / you used to speak)
- él/ella/usted: hablaba (he/she/you was/were speaking / used to speak)
- nosotros/as: hablábamos (we were speaking / we used to speak)
- vosotros/as: hablabais (you all were speaking / you used to speak)
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: hablaban (they/you all were speaking / you used to speak)
Note: The yo and él/ella/usted forms are identical. Context will always make the subject clear. Also, notice the accent mark on the nosotros form: -ábamos.
The imperfect is used to:
1. Describe habitual or repeated actions in the past ('used to').
2. Describe ongoing actions in the past ('was/were -ing').
3. Set the scene by describing people, places, time, weather, and age.
It contrasts with the preterite tense, which is used for specific, completed actions. Compare:
Imperfect: Yo caminaba por la calle. (I was walking down the street - ongoing action).
Preterite: Yo caminé a la tienda. (I walked to the store - completed action).
Examples (5)
- Yo caminaba por el parque cada mañana.
I used to walk through the park every morning.
Word by Word: I was walking through the park each morning.
This shows a habitual action in the past. 'caminar' -> 'caminaba'.
- Tú siempre cantabas en la ducha.
You always used to sing in the shower.
Word by Word: You always were singing in the shower.
- Ella trabajaba en la biblioteca cuando la conocí.
She was working at the library when I met her.
Word by Word: She was working at the library when I met her.
The imperfect 'trabajaba' describes the ongoing background action that was interrupted by the preterite action 'conocí'.
- Nosotros escuchábamos música mientras estudiábamos.
We were listening to music while we were studying.
Word by Word: We were listening to music while we were studying.
- Los niños jugaban en el jardín.
The children were playing in the garden.
Word by Word: The children were playing in the garden.
This describes an ongoing scene in the past.
Common Mistakes
Using the preterite for a background action that was interrupted.
Ayer, yo estudié cuando mi amigo llamó.Ayer, yo estudiaba cuando mi amigo llamó.Use the imperfect ('estudiaba') for the background action that was in progress ('I was studying'). Use the preterite ('llamó') for the specific, completed action that interrupted it ('my friend called').
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- -ía/-ías/-ía/-íamos/-íais/-ían (imperfecto)Imperfect -ER/-IR Verbs
These are the imperfect endings for regular -er and -ir verbs. They follow the same usage rules as -ar verbs for describing past habits and ongoing actions.
Level 2 - -é/-aste/-ó/-amos/-asteis/-aronPreterite -AR Verbs
This is the preterite tense, used for completed past actions. It's crucial to understand the difference between the preterite and the imperfect to narrate events in the past correctly.
Level 2 - Imperfect for Habits
This pattern explains one of the main uses of the imperfect tense: talking about things you 'used to do' repeatedly in the past.
Level 2 - Imperfect for Background
This explains another key use of the imperfect: describing people, places, weather, and setting the scene for a story in the past.
Level 2 - cuando + PreteriteWhen in Past Narration
This structure is very common for showing how a completed action (in the preterite) interrupted an ongoing action (in the imperfect).
Level 2 - mientras + ImperfectWhile (Background)
This pattern shows how to use 'mientras' (while) with the imperfect to describe two or more actions that were happening simultaneously in the past.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice -aba/-abas/-aba/-ábamos/-abais/-aban in Bubblegum
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