The imperfect tense (Edexcel GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
The imperfect tense
What is the imperfect tense?
The imperfect tense (el imperfecto) describes actions and situations in the past. It focuses on what people used to do, repeated actions, and descriptions of how things were in the past.
The imperfect tense is one of the two main past tenses in Spanish. Unlike the preterite, which focuses on completed actions, the imperfect emphasises the ongoing, habitual, or descriptive nature of past events.
Forming regular verbs
To form the imperfect tense of regular verbs, remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, -ir) and add the appropriate imperfect endings.
Endings for regular verbs
| Person | -ar verbs | -er and -ir verbs |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -aba | -ía |
| tú | -abas | -ías |
| él/ella/usted | -aba | -ía |
| nosotros/nosotras | -ábamos | -íamos |
| vosotros/vosotras | -abais | -íais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -aban | -ían |
Example conjugations
| Person | hablar (to speak) | comer (to eat) | vivir (to live) |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaba | comía | vivía |
| tú | hablabas | comías | vivías |
| él/ella | hablaba | comía | vivía |
| nosotros | hablábamos | comíamos | vivíamos |
| vosotros | hablabais | comíais | vivíais |
| ellos | hablaban | comían | vivían |
-er and -ir verbs share the same endings in the imperfect tense, making them easier to learn together.
Worked Example: Conjugating "estudiar" (to study)
Step 1: Remove the infinitive ending estudiar → estudi-
Step 2: Add the appropriate -ar ending
- yo estudiaba
- tú estudiabas
- él/ella estudiaba
- nosotros estudiábamos
- vosotros estudiabais
- ellos estudiaban
Irregular verbs in the imperfect
There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect tense:
| Person | ir (to go) | ser (to be) | ver (to see) |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | iba | era | veía |
| tú | ibas | eras | veías |
| él/ella | iba | era | veía |
| nosotros | íbamos | éramos | veíamos |
| vosotros | ibais | erais | veíais |
| ellos | iban | eran | veían |
These three verbs must be memorised as they don't follow the regular pattern. The good news is that there are only three to learn, making the imperfect tense much more regular than other tenses!
When to use the imperfect tense
The imperfect tense describes specific types of past actions and situations:
-
What people used to do or how things used to be
- Antes no separaba la basura. (I didn't use to sort the rubbish before.)
-
Repeated actions in the past
- Jugaba al tenis todos los días. (I played tennis every day.)
-
Descriptions in the past
- El hotel era caro. (The hotel was expensive.)
Example in context: Antes, trabajaba en un café. Ahora ayudo en una tienda. (I used to work in a café. Now I help in a shop.)
Notice how trabajaba describes what the person used to do regularly, while ayudo describes their current situation.
Preterite or imperfect?
Understanding when to use each tense is crucial for accurate Spanish communication. The choice between preterite and imperfect depends on how you want to present the past action.
Use the preterite for:
- Single or completed events in the past
- Ayer fui a visitar el castillo. (Yesterday I went to visit the castle.)
Use the imperfect for:
- Repeated or continuous events in the past
- Cerca de aquí había un castillo. (There used to be a castle near here.)
Useful vocabulary
These time expressions often signal when to use the imperfect tense:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| antes | before |
| siempre | always |
| todos los días | every day |
| a menudo | often |
| normalmente | normally |
| generalmente | generally |
| mientras | while |
| cuando era joven | when I was young |
Example sentences using vocabulary:
- Antes trabajaba en una oficina. (I used to work in an office before.)
- Siempre comía chocolate después de cenar. (I always ate chocolate after dinner.)
- Cuando era joven, vivía en Madrid. (When I was young, I lived in Madrid.)
Notice how these time expressions indicate habitual or repeated actions, which require the imperfect tense.
Practice exercise
Test your understanding by completing these sentences with the correct imperfect or preterite form:
Practice Exercise: Choose the correct tense
Complete these sentences with the correct imperfect or preterite form:
- Mi hermano _______ en la piscina todos los veranos. (trabajar)
- Ayer _______ mucho chocolate. (comer)
- Antes _______ a las Islas Canarias a menudo con mis padres. (ir)
- Cuando yo era joven, _______ un mercado aquí los viernes. (haber)
- El verano pasado _______ Buenos Aires por primera vez. (visitar)
- De pequeño, mi hermanita siempre _______. (llorar)
Answers: 1. trabajaba, 2. comí, 3. iba, 4. había, 5. visité, 6. lloraba
Exam tip
Try to use both the imperfect and the preterite in your writing and speaking tasks. This demonstrates a good understanding of Spanish past tenses and can help you achieve higher grades.
Key Points to Remember:
- The imperfect tense describes repeated actions, descriptions, and what people used to do in the past
- Regular -er and -ir verbs share the same endings in the imperfect
- Only three verbs are irregular: ir (iba), ser (era), ver (veía)
- Use preterite for single events, imperfect for repeated/continuous actions
- Combining both tenses in your work shows advanced understanding