In all of these possible English sentences, what is the message? Instead, we should look at the meaning of the imperfect tense in Spanish and the situations in which it is used. As language learners, we need to avoid the fallacy of translating everything into our native language. So how do you know which one is right? With so many options, how do I choose? Do I even have to choose? For example, the sentence Los compañeros caminaban a la escuela can be translated in the following ways: There are a variety of ways to translate the imperfect tense in Spanish into English. Ser, ir, and ver are used often so be sure to study them. We used to see the dog through the window.Īnd there you have it! Just three irregular verbs.The men would see each other in the bar.This one is barely irregular! Just take off the last -r from ver and use the -er/-ir endings, and you’re in business. The family would go to the museum a lot.This verb pretty much adopts the -ar endings except the first a is an i. Unsplash credit to Chase Chappell Ir – to go The boy was tall and his shirt was white.El chico era alto y su camiseta era blanca.We were young when we were sixteen years old.Éramos jóvenes cuando teníamos dieciséis años.When I was a girl, I didn’t like spinach.Cuando era niña, no me gustaba la espinaca.This verb has an accent mark in the nosotros/as form. That’s it! Below are the conjugations for these three irregular verbs. The only three irregular verbs in the imperfect tense in Spanish are ser, ir, and ver. Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect Tense in Spanish To differentiate between these, Spanish speakers will either include the pronoun or the pronoun will be implied based on context. Antonio was learning a foreign language in high school.įor all verb types, the yo form and the third person plural ( él/ella/usted ) have the same conjugation.Antonio aprendía una lengua extranjera en el colegio.According to my uncles, my parents used to go out a lot before having kids.Según mis tíos, mis padres salían mucho antes de tener hijos.All of the imperfect endings below have an accent mark on the first “i.” Yo Much like the preterite tense, these two verb types share the same endings. Here are the endings for both -er and -ir verbs. There is more information on this later on, when we talk about the uses of the imperfect, so sit tight! While I was watching TV, my brother was drawing in his notebook.īased on the example sentences, you may have noticed that there are a few ways to translate the imperfect.Mientras yo miraba la televisión, mi hermano dibujaba en su cuaderno.My friend (female) used to speak to her parents on the phone every day.Mi amiga hablaba por teléfono con sus padres todos los días.Note that the nosotros/as form has an accent mark on the first “a.” Yo Once you remove -ar, -er, or -ir from the verb, add the appropriate ending. The first step, like with most verbs, is to remove the ending of the verb. In fact, there are only three irregulars (a true miracle)! You will be conjugating in the imperfect in no time! Most verbs are regular verbs in the imperfect tense. Regular Verbs in the Imperfect Tense in Spanish Master the Spanish Definite and Indefinite Articles in 10 Min.Body Parts in Spanish: Vocabulary, Grammar and More!.Possessive Pronouns in Spanish - A Complete Guide with Examples.15 Irregular Verbs in Spanish: Cheat Sheets Included.Spanish Direct Object Pronouns Explained In Simple Language!.Summary of the Imperfect Tense in Spanish.Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect Tense in Spanish.Regular Verbs in the Imperfect Tense in Spanish.It is generally recommended to learn the preterite first, however, the order in which you learn the different past tenses doesn’t matter too much as long as you study both! This article will teach you how to conjugate in the imperfect tense in Spanish as well as when to use it. Jugaba means “was playing” and is a continuous action, while empezó means “it started” and indicates a single, sudden action. This sentence uses the imperfect for the first verb and the preterite for the second verb due to their difference in meaning. While I was playing in the garden, it started to rain. Mientras jugaba en el jardín, empezó a llover. The imperfect tense is often taught in conjunction with the preterite tense because they are both used to talk about the past and are often interwoven in narratives. Actually, the imperfect tense in Spanish is used to talk about things you “used to” do or “were” doing in the past, as well as to set the scene for a story. Despite having the name “imperfect,” this Spanish tense has nothing to do with flaws or defects.
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