El Pretérito Imperfecto (Imperfect) (AQA A-Level Spanish): Revision Notes
El Pretérito Imperfecto (Imperfect)
Overview
The pretérito imperfecto is one of the main past tenses in Spanish. It describes past actions or states that were ongoing, habitual, or provided background information. Think of it as painting a picture of what life was like in the past, rather than listing specific completed events.
Imagine the imperfect as a movie scene playing in the background, while the preterite tense represents specific snapshots of completed actions. The imperfect sets the stage and describes what was happening.
You use the imperfect tense when you want to:
- Talk about things you used to do regularly
- Describe actions that were in progress at a moment in the past
- Set the scene or describe conditions in the past
- State someone's age, the time, or the date in the past
Rules & formation
The imperfect is one of the easiest Spanish tenses to form because it has very few irregular verbs and clear patterns.
Regular verbs
To form the imperfect of regular verbs, remove the infinitive ending (-AR, -ER, or -IR) and add the appropriate imperfect ending.
For -AR verbs: Remove the -AR and add these endings:
| Person | Ending |
|---|---|
| yo | -aba |
| tú | -abas |
| él/ella/usted | -aba |
| nosotros/nosotras | -ábamos |
| vosotros/vosotras | -abais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -aban |
For -ER and -IR verbs: Remove the -ER or -IR and add these endings (note that -ER and -IR verbs share the same endings):
| Person | Ending |
|---|---|
| yo | -ía |
| tú | -ías |
| él/ella/usted | -ía |
| nosotros/nosotras | -íamos |
| vosotros/vosotras | -íais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -ían |
Accent Mark Alert:
- For -AR verbs: only the nosotros/nosotras form has an accent (hablábamos)
- For -ER/-IR verbs: every single form has an accent on the í (comía, comías, comía, comíamos, comíais, comían)
Don't forget these accents when writing - they're essential!
Irregular verbs
There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect tense. These verbs do not follow the regular patterns and must be memorised.
Table of key forms
Regular verb examples
HABLAR (to speak)
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaba | I was speaking / I used to speak |
| tú | hablabas | you were speaking / you used to speak |
| él/ella/usted | hablaba | he/she was speaking / you (formal) were speaking |
| nosotros/nosotras | hablábamos | we were speaking / we used to speak |
| vosotros/vosotras | hablabais | you (plural) were speaking / you used to speak |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablaban | they were speaking / they used to speak |
COMER (to eat)
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | comía | I was eating / I used to eat |
| tú | comías | you were eating / you used to eat |
| él/ella/usted | comía | he/she was eating / you (formal) were eating |
| nosotros/nosotras | comíamos | we were eating / we used to eat |
| vosotros/vosotras | comíais | you (plural) were eating / you used to eat |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | comían | they were eating / they used to eat |
Irregular verbs
SER (to be)
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | era | I was |
| tú | eras | you were |
| él/ella/usted | era | he/she/you (formal) were |
| nosotros/nosotras | éramos | we were |
| vosotros/vosotras | erais | you (plural) were |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | eran | they were |
IR (to go)
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | iba | I was going / I used to go |
| tú | ibas | you were going / you used to go |
| él/ella/usted | iba | he/she was going / you (formal) were going |
| nosotros/nosotras | íbamos | we were going / we used to go |
| vosotros/vosotras | ibais | you (plural) were going / you used to go |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | iban | they were going / they used to go |
VER (to see/watch)
| Person | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | veía | I was seeing / I used to see |
| tú | veías | you were seeing / you used to see |
| él/ella/usted | veía | he/she was seeing / you (formal) were seeing |
| nosotros/nosotras | veíamos | we were seeing / we used to see |
| vosotros/vosotras | veíais | you (plural) were seeing / you used to see |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | veían | they were seeing / they used to see |
When to use the imperfect
The imperfect tense has four main uses in Spanish. Understanding these will help you choose the correct tense when speaking or writing about the past.
1. Describing habitual or repeated actions in the past
Use the imperfect to talk about things you used to do regularly or repeatedly in the past. In English, this often translates as "used to" or "would" (in the sense of habitual action).
Examples of Habitual Actions:
-
Nos acostábamos tarde los sábados. = We used to go to bed late on Saturdays.
Here, the imperfect shows a repeated habit that occurred every Saturday in the past. -
Nerea tocaba el piano. = Nerea used to play the piano.
This indicates that playing the piano was a regular activity for Nerea in the past. -
Visitaba a mis abuelos a menudo. = I often visited my grandparents.
The word "a menudo" (often) signals that this was a recurring action, making the imperfect the correct choice.
2. Describing actions in progress in the past
Use the imperfect to describe what was happening at a particular moment in the past. This is equivalent to "was/were + -ing" in English.
Examples of Actions in Progress:
-
Mis padres cenaban cuando llegó Juan. = My parents were having dinner when Juan arrived.
The imperfect "cenaban" describes the ongoing action (having dinner), whilst another action (Juan's arrival) interrupted it. -
Veían la tele cuando sonó el teléfono. = They were watching television when the phone rang.
Again, the imperfect sets the scene by describing what was in progress when something else happened. -
Raúl daba un paseo cuando se cayó. = Raúl was going for a walk when he fell.
The imperfect "daba" describes the ongoing action of walking, which provides context for the completed action of falling.
3. Describing feelings, emotions, characteristics and conditions in the past
Use the imperfect to describe how things were or how people felt in the past. This includes physical descriptions, emotional states, and general conditions.
Examples of Descriptions and States:
-
Irene estaba muy cansada. = Irene was very tired.
The imperfect describes Irene's state of being tired at that time in the past. -
Los chicos eran altos y delgados. = The boys were tall and thin.
Physical characteristics in the past are described using the imperfect. -
Quería vivir en Londres. = I wanted to live in London.
Desires, wishes, and feelings are expressed using the imperfect when talking about the past.
4. Stating the day, date, time, or age in the past
Use the imperfect to tell the time, give dates, or state someone's age when recounting past events.
Examples of Time, Date, and Age:
-
Cuando tenía ocho años... = When I was eight years old...
Age in the past always uses the imperfect tense with the verb "tener". -
Eran las seis de la tarde. = It was six o'clock in the evening.
Telling the time in the past uses "ser" in the imperfect. -
Era martes. = It was Tuesday.
Days of the week in past descriptions use the imperfect of "ser".
Time phrases that indicate the imperfect
Certain time expressions are commonly used with the imperfect tense because they signal habitual, repeated, or ongoing actions. Learning these phrases will help you recognise when to use the imperfect.
Phrases that indicate the imperfect:
- siempre = always
- con frecuencia = frequently
- frecuentemente = frequently
- a menudo = often
- a veces = sometimes
- de vez en cuando = from time to time
- muchas veces = many times
- cada año/cada mes = every year/every month
- cada semana/cada día = every week/every day
- todos los días = every day
- cada lunes/cada martes = every Monday/every Tuesday
These phrases indicate that an action was repeated or habitual, which is why they pair naturally with the imperfect tense.
Imperfect vs preterite
It's important to understand the difference between the imperfect and the preterite (pretérito indefinido), as both are past tenses but used for different purposes.
Key Distinction:
The imperfect describes:
- Habitual or repeated actions
- Ongoing or background actions
- Descriptions and conditions
The preterite describes:
- Completed actions with a clear beginning and end
- Specific events that happened once
Comparing Imperfect and Preterite:
- Fue al cine ayer. = He went to the cinema yesterday. (preterite - completed action)
- Iba al cine a menudo. = He often used to go to the cinema. (imperfect - habitual action)
Time phrases more commonly used with the preterite:
- ayer = yesterday
- anteayer = the day before yesterday
- anoche = last night
- hace dos días = two days ago
- hace tres semanas = three weeks ago
- hace cinco años = five years ago
- hace cuatro siglos = four centuries ago
- la semana pasada = last week
- el mes pasado = last month
- el año pasado = last year
Further Examples:
- El sábado pasado cené en el restaurante. = Last Saturday I ate in the restaurant. (preterite - specific completed action)
- Los sábados cenaba en el restaurante. = On Saturdays I used to eat in the restaurant. (imperfect - habitual action)
- Leí la novela anoche. = I read the novel last night. (preterite - completed action)
- Leía la novela cuando entró Pablo. = I was reading the novel when Pablo came in. (imperfect - action in progress)
Common mistakes & tips
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Mistake 1: Forgetting the accent on -ábamos
Students often write "hablabamos" instead of "hablábamos". Remember that the nosotros/nosotras form of -AR verbs always has an accent on the á.
Mistake 2: Confusing -ER and -IR endings
Good news: -ER and -IR verbs share exactly the same endings in the imperfect. If you know one, you know both.
Mistake 3: Forgetting the accent on -ía endings
All forms of -ER/-IR verbs in the imperfect have an accent on the í. Don't forget this accent when writing.
Mistake 4: Using preterite instead of imperfect for habits
If you're describing something you "used to do" regularly, use the imperfect, not the preterite. The preterite is for completed, one-off actions.
Mistake 5: Treating SER, IR, and VER as regular
These three verbs are irregular and must be memorised. They don't follow the regular -AR, -ER, or -IR patterns.
Top Tips for Success:
Tip 1: When translating from English, if you can use "used to" or "was/were -ing", the imperfect is usually the correct choice. If the action was completed at a specific time, use the preterite instead.
Tip 2: Only the nosotros forms of -AR verbs have accents (hablábamos). For -ER/-IR verbs, every single form has an accent on the í (comía, comías, comía, comíamos, comíais, comían).
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- The imperfect is used for ongoing, habitual, or descriptive actions in the past.
- Regular -AR verbs use the -aba pattern; regular -ER/-IR verbs use the -ía pattern.
- There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect: SER (era), IR (iba), and VER (veía).
- Time phrases like "siempre", "a menudo", and "todos los días" signal the imperfect tense.
- Think "used to" or "was/were -ing" in English to help identify when to use the imperfect.