Mastering the Past: A Comprehensive Guide to the Spanish Pretérito Imperfecto
Learn when and how to use the imperfect tense to describe the past in Spanish
What is the Pretérito Imperfecto?
Unlike the Pretérito (which describes completed actions), the Pretérito Imperfecto describes "how things used to be" or "what was happening." It's the tense of descriptions, habits, and ongoing past actions.
Think of it as painting a scene in the past, rather than reporting specific events. While the Pretérito is like a photograph (a single moment), the Imperfecto is like a video (ongoing action).
Formation: -AR Verbs
For -AR verbs, remove the -ar and add these endings:
| Subject | Ending | Hablar | Caminar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | -aba | hablaba | caminaba |
| Tú | -abas | hablabas | caminabas |
| Él/Ella/Usted | -aba | hablaba | caminaba |
| Nosotros | -ábamos | hablábamos | caminábamos |
| Vosotros | -abais | hablabais | caminabais |
| Ellos/Ustedes | -aban | hablaban | caminaban |
Formation: -ER and -IR Verbs
For -ER and -IR verbs, remove the ending and add these:
| Subject | Ending | Comer | Vivir |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | -ía | comía | vivía |
| Tú | -ías | comías | vivías |
| Él/Ella/Usted | -ía | comía | vivía |
| Nosotros | -íamos | comíamos | vivíamos |
| Vosotros | -íais | comíais | vivíais |
| Ellos/Ustedes | -ían | comían | vivían |
The Only 3 Irregular Verbs
Great news! The Imperfecto only has THREE irregular verbs:
| Subject | IR (to go) | SER (to be) | VER (to see) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | iba | era | veía |
| Tú | ibas | eras | veías |
| Él/Ella | iba | era | veía |
| Nosotros | íbamos | éramos | veíamos |
| Ellos | iban | eran | veían |
When to Use the Imperfecto
1. Habitual Actions in the Past
Things you used to do regularly.
"Cada lunes iba al mercado." (Every Monday I used to go to the market.)
2. Describing People, Places, and Situations
Setting the scene.
"El cielo estaba azul y el sol brillaba." (The sky was blue and the sun was shining.)
3. Ongoing Actions (Background)
What was happening when something else occurred.
"Ella leía mientras él cocinaba." (She was reading while he was cooking.)
4. Physical, Mental, and Emotional States
How you felt or what you were thinking.
"Tenía mucha hambre y estaba cansado." (I was very hungry and I was tired.)
5. Age and Time in the Past
Telling how old you were or what time it was.
"Cuando tenía 10 años, vivía en México." (When I was 10, I lived in Mexico.)
Time Markers for the Imperfecto
These words often signal you should use the Imperfecto:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| a menudo | often |
| siempre | always |
| cada día / cada semana | every day / every week |
| mientras | while |
| frecuentemente | frequently |
| de niño/a | as a child |
| en aquel entonces | back then |
| generalmente | generally |
| normalmente | normally |
Pretérito vs. Imperfecto
The key difference:
Pretérito
Completed actions, specific events
"Ayer comí tacos."
(I ate tacos yesterday - specific event)
Imperfecto
Ongoing situations, descriptions, habits
"De niño, comía tacos todos los viernes."
(As a child, I used to eat tacos every Friday - habit)
Ready to Master the Imperfecto?
Practice with a native Mexican teacher who can help you understand when to use each past tense!