Spanish Imperfect (Imperfecto) - Endings, Usage, and Irregulars

Vocabulary flashcards covering the Imperfect tense endings, usage, irregulars, and tips from the notes. Each card defines a key term or concept in English for exam preparation.

Imperfect -AR endings

Regular imperfect endings for -AR verbs: yo -aba, tú -abas, él/ella/usted -aba, nosotros -ábamos, vosotros -abais, ellos -aban. Accent on -ábamos.

Imperfect -ER/-IR endings

Regular imperfect endings for -ER and -IR verbs: yo -ía, tú -ías, él/ella/usted -ía, nosotros -íamos, vosotros -íais, ellos -ían. Accents on - íamos and -íais (nosotros/vosotros forms).

Usage of the imperfect

Used for habitual/repeated actions, background descriptions, ongoing past actions, and for telling age, time, weather, or mental states.

Imperfect signal words

Words/phrases that suggest imperfect: siempre, a menudo, mientras, generalmente.

Imperfect vs Preterite contrast

Imperfect = background/habit; Preterite = completed actions with clear beginning/end. Look for interruptions where the preterite occurs.

Ser (imperfect) full conjugation

era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran (accent on éramos). Irregular verb in imperfect.

Ir (imperfect) full conjugation

iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban (irregular; root ib-; accents on íbamos and íais).

Ver (imperfect) full conjugation

veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían (irregular; all forms have accented í).

Imperfect -AR reminder for nosotros

Nosotros form -ábamos has an accent on á to distinguish from present tense forms.

Imperfect -ER/-IR reminder for nosotros/vosotros

Endings -íamos and -íais carry accents to help distinguish from other tenses.

Imperfect progressive

Formed with estar in imperfect + gerund (estar + gerund). Example: estaba hablando = was speaking; describes ongoing past action.

Imperfect for time/age/weather

Use imperfect to express past time, age, and weather: eran las…, tenía años…, hacía frío.

Conocer (imperfect vs preterite)

Conocer in imperfect = knew/was acquainted; in preterite = met for the first time.

Saber, poder, querer (imperfect vs preterite)

Saber: sabía = knew (a fact); supe = found out. Poder: podía = could/was able to; pudo = managed to. Querer: quería = wanted; quiso = tried (and perhaps attempted or succeeded).

Habitual past example

Example of habitual past: "Cuando era niño iba al parque todos los sábados"; signal word: todos los sábados.

Background vs interrupting action example

Background: "Ella cocinaba." Interrupting: "Sonó el teléfono."; imperfect sets scene, preterite interrupts.

Imperfectiri (tip) irregulars reminder

Some verb forms require extra attention with accents (e.g., íbamos, íais) to avoid confusion with other tenses.

Imperfect progressive example

Example: "Estaba hablando" = was speaking; demonstrates ongoing action in the past.

Practice organization tip

Use tags for targeted practice, e.g., Spanish::Imperfect::RegularEndings or Spanish::Imperfect::Irregulars to filter study material.