The Spanish Imperfect Tense

When to use the imperfect

Use the imperfect to describe the past rather than to tell what happened. It doesn't focus on when things started or ended, just what was going on.

1. 1

   Habits and repeated actions

   Things that used to happen. English often says “used to” or “would.”

   • De niño, jugaba al fútbol todos los días.

     As a kid, I played soccer every day.

   • Los domingos comíamos en casa de mis abuelos.

     On Sundays we would eat at my grandparents’ house.

2. 2

   Actions in progress

   What was going on at a moment in the past. English uses “was …-ing.”

   • ¿Qué hacías a las ocho? Veía la tele.

     What were you doing at eight? I was watching TV.

   • Llovía cuando salí.

     It was raining when I left.

3. 3

   Descriptions

   What people, places, and things were like, including the weather.

   • Mi abuela era alta y tenía el pelo rizado.

     My grandmother was tall and had curly hair.

   • Hacía mucho frío y no había nadie en la calle.

     It was very cold, and there was no one on the street.

4. 4

   Time and age

   Telling the time and people’s ages in the past.

   • Eran las tres de la mañana.

     It was three in the morning.

   • Cuando tenía diez años, vivía en Texas.

     When I was ten, I lived in Texas.

5. 5

   Feelings and states of mind

   What someone felt, wanted, knew, or thought.

   • Estaba muy cansada.

     I was really tired.

   • No sabía que eras de México.

     I didn’t know you were from Mexico.

6. 6

   Polite requests

   A softer way to ask for something, a bit like “I was wondering” in English.

   • Quería pedirte un favor.

     I wanted to ask you a favor.

   • Quería saber si tienen mesa para dos.

     I wanted to know if you have a table for two.

Words like these often go with the imperfect. Like with the preterite, they're a good hint, but not a rule.

• siemprealways
• todos los díasevery day
• de niñoas a kid
• mientraswhile
• antesbefore, back then
• a menudooften

Only three irregular verbs: ser, ir, and ver

The imperfect is one of the most regular tenses in Spanish. There are no stem changes and no spelling changes, so boot verbs are completely regular: pensaba, podía, dormía. Only three verbs break the pattern.

Iba a + infinitive: “was going to”

Put ir in the imperfect and you get was going to. It works exactly like the near future: iba + a + infinitive. It's often used for plans that didn't happen.

Pronouns work the same way too. They go before iba or on the end of the infinitive: Te iba a llamar = Iba a llamarte.

Common mistakes English speakers make

1. 1

   Using the preterite for the background

   Incorrect:Cuando fui niño, vivía en Texas.

   Correct:Cuando era niño, vivía en Texas.

   Being a child isn't an event that happened. It's the background, so it takes the imperfect.

2. 2

   Translating “would” as the conditional

   Incorrect:De niño, jugaría al fútbol todos los días.

   Correct:De niño, jugaba al fútbol todos los días.

   When English would means used to, Spanish uses the imperfect. Jugaría is I would play in the hypothetical sense: Jugaría si tuviera tiempo (I would play if I had time).

3. 3

   Keeping the present-tense stem change

   Incorrect:Antes puedía correr diez kilómetros.

   Correct:Antes podía correr diez kilómetros.

   The imperfect has no stem changes. Boot verbs are completely regular: podía, pensaba, dormía.

4. 4

   Using ‑aba on ‑er and ‑ir verbs

   Incorrect:Mis abuelos vivaban en el campo.

   Correct:Mis abuelos vivían en el campo.

   ‑aba is only for ‑ar verbs. ‑er and ‑ir verbs take ‑ía.

5. 5

   Dropping the accents

   Incorrect:Siempre comiamos juntos.

   Correct:Siempre comíamos juntos.

   Every ‑ía form has an accent, and ‑ar verbs take one in nosotros: hablábamos.

Questions about the imperfect