Back to: Spanish Verb Tenses Practice – Course
¡Bienvenidos a la Lección 9: El Pretérito Imperfecto en Español!
In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate verbs in the imperfect tense in Spanish using the infinitives -ar, -er, and -ir. The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing actions or habitual actions in the past, as well as to set the scene or describe people, places, and situations in the past.
Here’s what you’ll cover in this lesson:
Lesson Outline 📝
1. Learning Objective
- By the end of this lesson, you will be able to conjugate -ar, -er, and -ir verbs in the imperfect tense in Spanish.
2. Watch & Learn 🎥
- Be sure to watch the 3 videos below, each covering the conjugations for different verb groups:
- Video 1: -ar verbs (e.g., hablar → hablaba)
- Video 2: -er verbs (e.g., comer → comía)
- Video 3: -ir verbs (e.g., vivir → vivía)
Conjugation Basics
The imperfect tense is used to describe actions that were happening or recurring in the past. It is often used to express things like habitual actions, background information, or actions that were in progress.
1. How to Form the Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense is formed by removing the infinitive endings -ar, -er, or -ir and adding the corresponding imperfect endings.
-ar Verbs
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | -aba |
| Tú | -abas |
| Él/Ella | -aba |
| Nosotros | -ábamos |
| Vosotros | -abais |
| Ellos/Ellas | -aban |
Example: hablar (to speak)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | hablaba |
| Tú | hablabas |
| Él/Ella | hablaba |
| Nosotros | hablábamos |
| Vosotros | hablabais |
| Ellos/Ellas | hablaban |
-er Verbs
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | -ía |
| Tú | -ías |
| Él/Ella | -ía |
| Nosotros | -íamos |
| Vosotros | -íais |
| Ellos/Ellas | -ían |
Example: comer (to eat)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | comía |
| Tú | comías |
| Él/Ella | comía |
| Nosotros | comíamos |
| Vosotros | comíais |
| Ellos/Ellas | comían |
-ir Verbs
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | -ía |
| Tú | -ías |
| Él/Ella | -ía |
| Nosotros | -íamos |
| Vosotros | -íais |
| Ellos/Ellas | -ían |
Example: vivir (to live)
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | vivía |
| Tú | vivías |
| Él/Ella | vivía |
| Nosotros | vivíamos |
| Vosotros | vivíais |
| Ellos/Ellas | vivían |
Usage of the Imperfect Tense
- Ongoing actions in the past: Used to describe actions that were happening over a period of time or were ongoing in the past.
- Example: Yo hablaba con mi amigo cuando llegaste. (I was talking to my friend when you arrived.)
- Habitual actions in the past: Describes actions that were habitual or regular in the past.
- Example: Cada verano, íbamos a la playa. (Every summer, we used to go to the beach.)
- Describing people, places, and situations in the past: Used to set the scene or describe things in the past.
- Example: Cuando era niño, vivía en una casa grande. (When I was a child, I lived in a big house.)
Quiz Time 🎉
- After watching the videos and practicing, test your knowledge with a 5-question quiz to reinforce your understanding of the imperfect tense.
¡Te deseamos mucho éxito en tu proceso de aprendizaje! 💪