iba/ibas/iba/íbamos/iban

Imperfect of Ir

Level 2

The verb 'ir' (to go) is irregular in the imperfect tense. Use 'iba', 'ibas', 'iba', etc., to talk about where you 'used to go' or 'were going' in the past.

How It Works

The verb ir (to go) is irregular in the imperfect tense, alongside the basic verbs ser and ver. Its conjugations are essential for describing past habits, ongoing actions, and setting scenes.

Conjugations of Ir in the Imperfect:

  • yo iba
  • tú ibas
  • él/ella/usted iba
  • nosotros/as íbamos
  • vosotros/as ibais
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes iban

Notice the accent mark on íbamos. This is important for correct pronunciation and spelling.

Common Uses:
1. Habitual Actions (Used to go): To talk about places you repeatedly went to in the past.
e.g., De niña, iba a la casa de mi abuela todos los domingos. (As a child, I used to go to my grandmother's house every Sunday.)

2. Ongoing Actions (Was/Were going): To describe the action of going somewhere that was in progress, often when it was interrupted by another event.
e.g., Yo iba a la tienda cuando empezó a llover. (I was going to the store when it started to rain.)

3. Setting the Scene: To provide background information in a story.
e.g., Era una noche oscura y todos iban a sus casas. (It was a dark night and everyone was going to their homes.)

Habit Versus Bounded Series
De joven, iba a la piscina los sábados describes a habit. Durante aquel mes fui a la piscina todos los sábados summarizes a series within a bounded month. Words such as todos los sábados do not automatically require the imperfect. Conversely, iba can describe a single trip in progress; it does not always mean a repeated habit.

Going To Do Something
Iba a llamarte can mean I was going to call you, describing an intention or prospective action from a past viewpoint. Whether the call happened must be established from context, not from iba alone.

Examples (5)

  1. Cuando era niño, iba a la playa todos los veranos.

    When I was a child, I used to go to the beach every summer.

    Word by Word: When I was a child, I used to go to the beach all the summers.

  2. Nosotros íbamos al cine los sábados.

    We used to go to the movies on Saturdays.

    Word by Word: We used to go to the cinema the Saturdays.

    Note the required accent mark on 'íbamos'.

  3. Ella iba a la biblioteca cuando la llamaste.

    She was going to the library when you called her.

    Word by Word: She was going to the library when you called her.

  4. ¿Adónde ibas con tanta prisa?

    Where were you going in such a hurry?

    Word by Word: To where were you going with so much hurry?

  5. Mis padres siempre iban de vacaciones a las montañas.

    My parents always used to go on vacation to the mountains.

    Word by Word: My parents always used to go of vacation to the mountains.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the accent mark on 'íbamos'.

    Nosotros ibamos a la misma escuela.
    Nosotros íbamos a la misma escuela.

    The 'nosotros/nosotras' form in the imperfect, 'íbamos', always requires an accent mark on the first 'i' to maintain the correct stress.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

iba/ibas/iba/íbamos/ibanLevel 2Imperfect of Ir

Learn This First

To learn the irregular imperfect of 'ir', learners first need to be familiar with the verb's meaning and its present tense forms. Additionally, since 'iba' uses endings similar to the regular -ar imperfect pattern, understanding that conjugation rule is a vital foundation. Finally, a solid grasp of subject pronouns ensures the learner can match the correct form to the person performing the action.

Words in This Pattern