Spanish Grammar: The Imperfect Tense

The Imperfect Tense ($10.1$)

The imperfect tense is used to describe past activities, events, or states. While the preterite tense is used to describe actions that are viewed as completed, the imperfect tense describes actions that are seen as incomplete, continuing, or habitual. It expresses what was happening at a certain time or how things used to be.

Regular Verbs in the Imperfect

There are no stem changes in the imperfect tense. The endings for $-er$ and $-ir$ verbs are identical.

Conjugation Table

Important Accentuation Rules

• In $-ar$ verbs, only the nosotros/as form carries an accent, which is placed on the first $a$ of the ending ($cantábamos$).

• In $-er$ and $-ir$ verbs, every form carries an accent on the first $i$ of the ending ($\text{-ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían}$).

The Form of Hay (Haber)

The imperfect form of the verb hay (infinitive: haber) is había. Unlike the preterite, it translates to "there was," "there were," or "there used to be," and is used for both singular and plural subjects.

• Había sólo un médico. (There was only one doctor.)

• Había dos pacientes allí. (There were two patients there.)

Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect

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

Irregular Conjugation Table

Contrast Between Imperfect and Preterite

The imperfect describes actions without a specific end, while the preterite focuses on completed events.

Example 1: Preterite (Completed)

• ¿Qué te pasó? (What happened to you?)

• Me torcí el tobillo. (I sprained my ankle.)

Example 2: Imperfect (Continuing/Description)

• ¿Dónde vivías de niño? (Where did you live as a child?)

• Vivía en San José. (I lived [was living/used to live] in San José.)

Example 3: State of Being

• Me duelen los pies. (My feet hurt. [Present])

• Me dolían los pies. (My feet were hurting. [Imperfect])

Specific Uses of the Imperfect

The imperfect is used in several specific contexts to provide background or descriptive details in the past.

Habitual or Repeated Actions

Used for things that happened regularly in the past (equivalent to "used to" in English). Often used with expressions like de niño/a (as a child) and todos los días (every day).

• Íbamos al parque los domingos. (We used to go to the park on Sundays.)

Events or Actions in Progress

Used to describe what was happening, often when something else (in the preterite) occurred. Often used with the conjunction mientras (while).

• Yo leía mientras él estudiaba. (I was reading while he was studying.)

Telling Time

Time in the past is expressed using the imperfect.

• Eran las tres y media. (It was $3:30$.)

Age

Age in the past is described with the imperfect form of tener.

• Los niños tenían seis años. (The children were $6$ years old.)

Physical Characteristics

Used for descriptions of people, places, or things.

• Era alto y guapo. (He was tall and handsome.)

Mental or Emotional States

Used to describe feelings, intentions, or conditions.

• Quería mucho a su familia. (He loved his family very much.)

Dialogue and Contextual Examples

• Lo siento, señor, estaba distraído, no sabía que… (I'm sorry, sir, I was distracted, I didn't know that…)

• ¡Sabía que no tenía que venir al hospital! (I knew I didn't have to come to the hospital!)