Understanding the Imperfect Tense in Spanish
Last updated: September 14, 2025
So you’re out here searching for the Spanish imperfect tense, wondering why Spanish needs two past tenses in the first place. Relax—this isn’t rocket science, and no, you don’t need a PhD in linguistics to get it. We’ll break down what the imperfect tense is, how to use it, and how it compares to the preterite. And we’ll do that by:
Why does Spanish need two past tenses?
Spanish splits the past into two main tenses because it wants to tell different kinds of stories. The imperfect tense (imperfecto) is used for background details, ongoing actions in the past, or repeated events. We could say that it sets the scene. The preterite tense (pretérito) is for actions that are finished, specific, or interrupt the background.
A similar pattern exists in English: I was reading a book when the phone rang. “Was reading” describes what was happening, while “the phone rang” is the concrete action that interrupts it. In Spanish, you’ll use the imperfect to describe the context or habitual actions, and the preterite to highlight the main events that move the story forward.
Don’t worry if it still feels a bit fuzzy. We’ll go into more detail in the following sections, showing exactly how to use the imperfect and preterite so your Spanish makes sense and flows naturally.
How to conjugate the Spanish imperfect tense
Conjugating the imperfect tense in Spanish is pretty straightforward once you know the patterns. Regular verbs fall into three groups ending in -ar, -er, and -ir, and each group follows a consistent set of endings. You’ll mainly just need the verb stem and the correct endings for each pronoun. Here’s a quick reference for regular verbs:
English / Spanish | hablar (to speak) | comer (to eat) | vivir (to live) |
|---|---|---|---|
I / yo | hablaba | comía | vivía |
you / tú | hablabas | comías | vivías |
he/she/you formal / él/ella/usted | hablaba | comía | vivía |
we / nosotros | hablábamos | comíamos | vivíamos |
you all / vosotros | hablabais | comíais | vivíais |
they/you formal plural / ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablaban | comían | vivían |
How to form the imperfect tense
Forming the imperfect in Spanish is quite simple. For -AR verbs, remove the ending and add -aba, -abas, -aba… etc. For -ER/-IR verbs, it’s -ía, -ías, -ía…. Once you know these endings, you can quickly describe what “was happening” or “used to happen” in the past.
Examples:
- Yo hablaba con mi amiga todos los días.
I used to talk with my friend every day. - Ellos comían en el restaurante cada viernes.
They were eating at the restaurant every Friday. - Nosotros vivíamos cerca de la playa.
We used to live near the beach.
Irregular verbs in the imperfect tense
Not all verbs play nice with the standard endings. Three of the most common irregular verbs in the imperfect are ir (to go), ser (to be), and ver (to see). They follow their own distinctive patterns, so it’s worth memorizing them:
English / Spanish | ir (to go) | ser (to be) | ver (to see) |
|---|---|---|---|
I / yo | iba | era | veía |
you / tú | ibas | eras | veías |
he/she/you formal / él/ella/usted | iba | era | veía |
we / nosotros | íbamos | éramos | veíamos |
you all / vosotros | ibais | erais | veíais |
they/you formal plural / ellos/ellas/ustedes | iban | eran | veían |
Example:
- Cuando era niño, jugaba todos los días en el parque.
When I was a child, I used to play every day in the park. - Íbamos a la playa cada verano.
We used to go to the beach every summer._ - Veía muchas películas los fines de semana.
I used to watch a lot of movies on weekends.
When to use the imperfect tense in Spanish
The imperfect tense is your go-to for describing the background or “setting the scene” in the past. You’ll use it when you talk about ongoing actions in the past, repeated habits, or physical and emotional states. Certain words and phrases can give you clues that the imperfect is the right choice, like “siempre” (always), “a menudo” (often), “todos los días” (every day), or “mientras” (while).
Uses of the imperfect tense in different situations
Now that you know what the imperfect does and some words that hint at it, let’s break down the main situations where you’ll want to use it.
Habitual or repeated actions
Use the imperfect when you’re talking about stuff you used to do regularly.
Examples:
- Yo caminaba al trabajo todos los días.
I used to walk to work every day. - Cada verano, íbamos a la playa.
Every summer, we used to go to the beach.
Ongoing actions in the past
This one’s for when something was happening in the background while something else occurred.
Examples:
- Él leía mientras yo cocinaba.
He was reading while I was cooking. - Yo estudiaba cuando sonó el teléfono.
I was studying when the phone rang.
Background descriptions
Use the imperfect to describe weather, time, age, or feelings—basically anything that helps paint the scene.
Examples:
- Hacía mucho frío y era tarde.
It was very cold and it was late. - Tenía diez años cuando me mudé a España.
I was ten years old when I moved to Spain.
Simultaneous actions
If two things were happening at the same time in the past, the imperfect is your friend.
- Mientras yo cocinaba, él escuchaba música.
While I was cooking, he was listening to music. - Los niños jugaban en el jardín mientras nosotros hablábamos en la sala.
The kids were playing in the garden while we were talking in the living room.
Preterite vs. imperfect: key differences
Alright, so by now you’ve seen what the imperfect does and how to use it. But you’ve also heard about the preterite, and the big question is: which one do I use when I’m talking about the past?
Think of it like this: the preterite moves the story forward, while the imperfect sets the stage.
Here are the key differences to keep in mind:
Preterite = completed actions. If something started and finished, even if it’s just once, that’s preterite.
- Ayer comí pizza.
Yesterday I ate pizza.
Imperfect = background actions. If something was happening or used to happen, that’s imperfect.
- Yo comía pizza todos los viernes.
I used to eat pizza every Friday.
How to pick between preterite and imperfect in Spanish
Sometimes, a past action can be expressed with either tense, but the meaning shifts depending on which one you choose. Here are a few examples:
Preterite: Comí pastel en la fiesta.
I ate cake at the party. Explanation→ Here, the focus is on the completed action, like a single event.Imperfect: Comía pastel en la fiesta.
I was eating cake at the party. Explanation→ This form emphasizes the ongoing action or the atmosphere at the party.
Preterite: Llovió toda la mañana.
It rained all morning. Explanation→ Here, the highlight is that the rain occurred as a finished event.Imperfect: Llovía toda la mañana.
It was raining all morning. Explanation→ The form "llovía" sets the scene for another action or event.
Preterite: Llegué a la fiesta a las ocho.
I arrived at the party at eight. Explanation→ Here the verb expresses a completed action at a specific time: I arrived at 8:00 p.m.Imperfect: Llegaba a la fiesta mientras todos bailaban.
I was arriving at the party while everyone was dancing. Explanation→ Here, the emphasis is on what was going on when I arrived.
Notice how choosing one tense over the other changes the focus of the sentence—either the action itself or the background/ongoing context.
Dos and don’ts of the Spanish imperfect tense
Alright, before we wrap things up, let’s make sure you’ve got the essentials down. Here’s a quick summary to keep the imperfect tense straight in your head. If you remember these points, you’ll know when this tense is the right tool for the job.
- Use it to describe background details like weather, time, age, and feelings.
- Use it for repeated or habitual actions in the past (“I used to…” or “We always…”).
- Use it to talk about what was happening when something else interrupted.
- Don’t try to use it for single, completed events—that’s the preterite’s job.
- Don’t stress about “sounding perfect.” A slightly messy imperfect is still way better than skipping it altogether.
You’ve reached the perfect end of the imperfect tense in Spanish
We’ve talked a lot about when and how to use the imperfect, but here’s the bottom line one more time: use the imperfect to describe ongoing actions, repeated habits, or background details like time, age, and feelings.
Don’t worry if it still feels a little confusing. Once you start noticing it in Spanish shows, books, or songs, the patterns will begin to feel natural. The more you see and hear sentences like yo jugaba, ella leía, or nosotros vivíamos, the easier it will become to use the imperfect without thinking twice.
If you consume media you enjoy in Spanish, and you understand some of the messages and sentences within that media, you will make progress. Period.
¡Buena suerte y a disfrutar aprendiendo!