🌙 El Pretérito Imperfecto 🌙
Master the Imperfect Past - Your Storytelling Superpower
Your Quest: Welcome to the realm of the Pretérito Imperfecto! This magical tense allows you to paint vivid pictures of the past, describe what "used to" happen, and set the scene for epic stories. While your English-speaking mind might be confused by its multiple translations, fear not! Once you master this power, you'll be able to narrate like a true Spanish storyteller!
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Why This Power Matters
The Pretérito Imperfecto is essential for storytelling and describing the past. It's used for habitual actions ("I used to"), ongoing descriptions ("it was raining"), and background information in narratives. Without it, your Spanish stories would feel incomplete and choppy!
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IMPORTANT: The Confusing English Translations
This is where English speakers get tripped up! The Pretérito Imperfecto has THREE possible English translations:
Yo comía = I ate (simple past - but ongoing/habitual)
Yo comía = I was eating (past continuous)
Yo comía = I used to eat (habitual past)
All three are correct! Context determines which translation fits best. This is normal in Spanish—one form covers multiple English meanings.
⚡ CORE TRUTH: Imperfect = Background, habits, ongoing past | Think "used to" or "was -ing"
Good news! The Pretérito Imperfecto is one of the easiest tenses to conjugate because there are very few irregular verbs. The regular patterns are super consistent!
📖 How Conjugation Works:
Take the infinitive → Remove the ending (-ar, -er, or -ir) to find the STEM → Add the imperfect ENDINGS
| Pronombre |
BAILAR (to dance) |
COMER (to eat) |
VIVIR (to live) |
| Yo |
bailaba |
comía |
vivía |
| Tú |
bailabas |
comías |
vivías |
| Él / Ella / Usted |
bailaba |
comía |
vivía |
| Nosotros/as |
bailábamos |
comíamos |
vivíamos |
| Vosotros/as |
bailabais |
comíais |
vivís |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes |
bailaban |
comían |
vivían |
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Super Important Pattern:
Notice that -ER and -IR verbs have IDENTICAL endings in the imperfect! This makes it much easier, you only need to memorize 2 patterns, not 3. Also, all imperfect endings have accent marks except for -AR nosotros! If you're one of my students, remember: "aba" singing "Mamma Mía"
Amazing news! The Pretérito Imperfecto has only THREE irregular verbs. That's right, just three! Every other verb in Spanish follows the regular patterns. Learn these three, and you've conquered all the irregulars!
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The Only 3 Irregular Verbs in Imperfect
SER (to be - permanent)
Yoera
Túeras
Él/Ella/Ustedera
Nosotros/aséramos
Vosotros/aserais
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedeseran
Example: Yo era muy tímido de niño. = I was very shy as a child.
IR (to go)
Yoiba
Túibas
Él/Ella/Ustediba
Nosotros/asíbamos
Vosotros/asibais
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedesiban
Example: Yo iba al colegio todos los días. = I used to go to school every day.
VER (to see)
Yoveía
Túveías
Él/Ella/Ustedveía
Nosotros/asveíamos
Vosotros/asveíais
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedesveían
Example: Yo veía la televisión cada noche. = I used to watch TV every night.
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Memory Trick:
SER, IR, VER - Remember this like a chant! These are the ONLY three irregular verbs in the entire imperfect tense. Everything else is regular!
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When to Wield This Power
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1. Habitual/Repeated Actions (Used to)
Todos los días comía a las dos.
= Every day I used to eat at 2 o'clock.
De niño, jugaba con mis amigos en el parque.
= As a child, I used to play with my friends at the park.
Íbamos a la playa cada verano.
= We used to go to the beach every summer.
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2. Descriptions in the Past (Setting the Scene)
Era un día soleado.
= It was a sunny day.
La casa era muy grande y bonita.
= The house was very big and beautiful.
Hacía mucho frío.
= It was very cold.
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3. Ongoing Actions (Was/Were -ing)
Yo leía cuando sonó el teléfono.
= I was reading when the phone rang.
Llovía mucho esa noche.
= It was raining a lot that night.
Mis padres hablaban mientras yo estudiaba.
= My parents were talking while I was studying.
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4. Age, Time, and States in the Past
Yo tenía diez años.
= I was ten years old.
Eran las tres de la tarde.
= It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
Estaba muy cansado.
= I was very tired.
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5. Mental, Emotional, and Physical States
Yo quería ir al cine.
= I wanted to go to the cinema.
Ella estaba muy feliz.
= She was very happy.
Pensaba en ti.
= I was thinking about you.
⚔️ Remember the Battle: Imperfecto vs Perfecto Simple
You've already learned about the epic duel between these two past tenses in "El Duelo del Pretérito"! The Imperfecto is for background, habits, and ongoing actions (the movie scene), while the Perfecto Simple is for completed actions (the main plot). They work together to tell complete stories!
💡 Quick reminder: Imperfect = was doing, used to do | Preterite = did, happened
🌟 ¡Estás Listo! 🌟
Now that you've mastered the Pretérito Imperfecto, you can paint vivid pictures of the past and describe what life "used to" be like. Time to practice your new storytelling powers!
