Spanish Grammar: The Imperfect Tense

This set covers the conjugation rules, irregular verbs, and specific uses of the Spanish imperfect tense based on the lecture notes.

The Imperfect Tense

A past tense used to describe actions that are seen by the speaker as incomplete or continuing, or to express how things used to be.

Regular $-ar$ verb endings (Imperfect)

$-aba$, $-abas$, $-aba$, $-ábamos$, $-abais$, $-aban$.

Regular $-er$ and $-ir$ verb endings (Imperfect)

$-ía$, $-ías$, $-ía$, $-íamos$, $-íais$, $-ían$ (Note: both verb types share the same endings).

Stem changes in the imperfect

There are no stem changes in the imperfect tense.

Había

The imperfect form of hay (inf. haber), meaning "there was", "there were", or "used to be".

Irregular verbs in the imperfect

The only three irregular verbs in the imperfect tense are ir, ser, and ver.

Ir (Imperfect forms)

iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban.

Ser (Imperfect forms)

era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran.

Ver (Imperfect forms)

veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían.

De niño/a

An expression used with the imperfect to express habitual or repeated actions, meaning "as a child".

Todos los días

An expression used with the imperfect to express habitual or repeated actions, meaning "every day".

Mientras

An expression used with the imperfect to express habitual or repeated actions, meaning "while".

Age in the past

A specific use of the imperfect tense (e.g., "Los niños tenían seis años").

Telling time in the past

A specific use of the imperfect tense (e.g., "Eran las tres y media").

Physical characteristics in the past

A use of the imperfect to describe personhood (e.g., "Era alto y guapo").

Mental or emotional states

A use of the imperfect to describe feelings (e.g., "Quería mucho a su familia").