The imperfect: The imperfect (el pretérito imperfecto) is the tense for the ongoing, habitual and descriptive past. It paints the background rather than reporting a single finished event: what used to happen («íbamos cada verano»), what things were like («hacía sol»), and what was happening when something else occurred. There's no single moment of completion in view — the action stretches or repeats.
- el pretérito imperfecto
- the imperfect — the past for ongoing, habitual and descriptive actions
- el hábito
- the habit — something done repeatedly in the past (used to / would)
- la descripción
- the description — the background scene, people and things in the past
- la acción en curso
- the ongoing action — what was happening (was -ing)
- el trasfondo
- the background — the setting against which events happen
- la tilde en -ía
- the accent on -ía — the -er/-ir imperfect endings always carry it
When you reach for it: If the prompt mentions «siempre», «normalmente», «todos los días», «cuando era…» — or asks you to describe the past or say how things used to be — it's the imperfect. It's the scene-setting tense in the speaking and writing tasks.
Stem + imperfect ending: The imperfect is the easiest past tense to form. Drop the -ar / -er / -ir, then add the ending. The -er and -ir families share the same endings, and every one of them carries the accent on -ía. There are no stem changes to worry about.
| Persona | -ar (hablar) | -er / -ir (comer) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaba | comía |
| tú | hablabas | comías |
| él / ella / usted | hablaba | comía |
| nosotros / nosotras | hablábamos | comíamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | hablabais | comíais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | hablaban | comían |
Only THREE irregulars: The imperfect has just three irregular verbs in the whole language — learn these and you know them all: ser → era, ir → iba, ver → veía. Everything else is perfectly regular. Note that yo and él/ella look identical (hablaba, comía, era), so the subject makes the meaning clear.
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Four classic jobs: The imperfect sets the scene and describes the past without closing it off. Here are the four uses you meet most in the exam — each with a Spanish example. In every case the action repeats, stretches or describes rather than finishing once.
Usos del imperfecto
- Habits & repeated actions — «Todos los veranos íbamos a la playa.» (Every summer we used to go to the beach.)
- Description & background — «La casa era grande y tenía un jardín.» (The house was big and had a garden.)
- Age, time & weather in the past — «Tenía ocho años; eran las tres y hacía frío.» (I was eight; it was three o'clock and it was cold.)
- What was happening (was -ing) — «Mientras comíamos, sonaba la radio.» (While we were eating, the radio was playing.)
Repeats, stretches or describes = imperfect: Ask: is the action a habit, a description, or something in progress? If yes — and there's no single moment of completion — use the imperfect. Markers like «siempre», «normalmente», «mientras», «cuando era…» point straight to it.
How things used to be, sentence by sentence: Here's a short description of how life used to be, built one sentence at a time. Every verb is in the imperfect — habits, description and background. Read it once for the meaning, then tap Ver traducción for the English or 🔊 to hear it.
El imperfecto en acción
Cómo era la vida, frase a frase
- Cuando era pequeño, vivíamos en un pueblo junto al mar.
- Todos los veranos íbamos a la playa y nadábamos toda la mañana.
- Mi abuela siempre cocinaba paella los domingos y olía riquísimo.
- Por las tardes hacía calor, así que jugábamos bajo los árboles.
- Era una vida tranquila y todos nos conocíamos en el pueblo.
Steal this for your description: Notice the pattern: a habit or description marker («cuando era pequeño», «todos los veranos», «siempre», «por las tardes») + an imperfect verb. Use it whenever the task asks you to describe your childhood or how things used to be.
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The slips to watch for: The two classic imperfect mistakes are choosing the preterite for a habit (saying what happened once when you mean what used to happen), and dropping the accent on -ía (which can leave the wrong vowel or look like another form). Compare the right version with the typical mistake.
Correcto
- Todos los días iba al colegio andando.
- De pequeña comía mucha fruta.
- Cuando era joven, vivíamos en el campo.
Error común
- Todos los días fui al colegio andando.
- De pequeña comia mucha fruta.
- Cuando era joven, vivimos en el campo.
Habit? Description? Use the imperfect: Before you move on, check two things: is this a habit or description (then use the imperfect, not the preterite)? And did you keep the accent on -ía (comía, vivía, hacía)? A habit told in the preterite, or an -ía missing its tilde, are the two slips examiners catch.