Spanish Week Four: Imperfect Tense & Indirect Objects/Indirect Object Pronouns

The Indirect Object Pronouns

Me Nos

Te Os

Le Les

Definition of Indirect Object

The person or thing that receives something from the action of the verb.

Ex: Mary gave the book to John (John is the indirect object)

What is an Indirect Object indicated by?

The preposition “a”

Generally, an indirect Object Pronoun is used when there is an Indirect Object

Ex: Le doy un abrazo a mi papa’.

(I gave a hug to my dad).

Example of IOP and an IO

Mi mama’ les da besos a sus amigas.

Difference between Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns

Direct Object Pronouns replace the direct object

Indirect objects pronouns can be used on their own, but the context has to clarify to whom the pronoun refers to.

Ex: Ellos son mis vecinos. Les doy el perio’dico cada manyana.

(They are my neighbors. I give them the newspaper every morning.

The most common verbs used in expressing actions using Indirect objects

Dar

Decir

Hablar

Pedir

Preguntar

Ensenyar

Regalar

Ex: Te digo que es la verdad

I’m telling you that it’s the truth

Nos hablo’ de su viaje a Lima

He told us about his trip to Lima.

Placement of Indirect object pronouns

Similar to Direct Object pronouns, Indirect ones can be placed before the main verb, or attatched to the end of infinitives.

Ex: Le voy a preguntar algo Or Voy a preguntarle algo

( I am going to ask him/her/you (formal) something.)

Define the Imperfect Tense

To portray an event as being in the past, but it is not important exactly when the event started or if it ended.

Ex: De ninyo, Carlos vivi’a en Honduras. (As a child, Carlos lived in Honduras.)

The action occurs over an extended period of time, but is not specified when it started or stopped.

Hablar Imperfect conjugation

Yo: Hablaba

Tu’: Hablabas

E’l, Ella, Usted: Hablaba

Nosotros/Nosotras: Habla’bamos

Vosotros/Vosotras: Hablabais

Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: Hablaban

Comer Imperfect conjugation

Yo: Comi’a

Tu’: Comi’as

E’l, Ella, Usted: Comi’a

Nosotros/Nosotras: Comi’amos

Vosotros/Vosotras: Comi’ais

Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: Comi’an

Vivir Imperfect Conjugation

Yo: Vivi’a

Tu’: Vivi’as

E’l, Ella, Usted: Vivi’a

Nosotros/Nosotras: Vivi’amos

Vosotros/Vosotras: Vivi’ais

Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: Vivi’an

Imperfect -ar endings

aba

abas

aba

a’bamos

abais

aban

Imperfect -er/-ir endings

i’a

i’as

i’a

i’amos

i’ais

i’an

Irregular Imperfect Verbs

Ir, Ser, and Ver

Ver

Vei’a

Vei’as

Vei’a

Vei’amos

Vei’ais

Vei’an

Ser

era

eras

era

e’ramos

erais

eran

Ir

Iba

Ibas

Iba

I’bamos

Ibais

Iban

The stems of these verbs are irregular in the imperfect, but the endings show similarities with those of other regular verbs:

I’bamos a muchas fiestas cuando yo era ninyo.

We went to a lot of parties when I was a child.

?Vei’as ese programa de televisio’n todos los di’as?

Did you watch that TV show every day?

The Verb Hay in the Imperfect

Habi’a un edificio maya en este lugar.

There was a Mayan building in this place.

Habi’a cuatro ninyos en la fiesta.

There were four children at the party.