El Imperfecto

How to form regular verbs: 1: drop the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, -ir) 2: add the appropriate Imperfect tense endings to match the subject. -AR verb endings aba ábamos abas abais aba aban

HABLAR HABLABA HABLABAS HABLÁBAMOS HABLABAIS HABLABAN

How to form regular verbs: 1: drop the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, -ir) 2: add the appropriate Imperfect tense endings to match the subject. -er /-ir endings ía íamos íais ías ía ían

COMER COMÍA COMÍAS COMÍAMOS COMÍAIS COMÍAN

VIVIR VIVÍA VIVÍAS VIVÍAMOS VIVÍAIS VIVÍAN

IRREGULARS VER: veía veíamos veías veíais veía veían There are only 3 irregular verbs: VER, SER, and IR VER: veía veíamos veías veíais veía veían

IRREGULARS SER: era éramos eras erais era eran There are only 3 irregular verbs: VER, SER, and IR SER: era éramos eras erais era eran

IRREGULARS IR: iba íbamos ibas ibais iba iban There are only 3 irregular verbs: VER, SER, and IR IR: iba íbamos ibas ibais iba iban ,

When to use IMPERFECT #1 used for actions in the past that are not seen as completed. It implies that the past action did not have a definite beginning or a definite end. Translate the Imperfect tense as was/were ...ing, used to ..., would (meaning used to) …

When to use IMPERFECT #2 used for actions that were repeated habitually. Almorzábamos juntos todos los días. We would lunch together every day. Las señoras siempre charlaban por las mañanas. The ladies would always chat in the mornings.

When to use IMPERFECT #2 used for actions that "set the stage" for another action. Yo leía cuando entró mi papá. I was reading when my papa entered. (note that "entered" is preterite) used for telling time, describing weather, and stating one's age. Eran las siete de la noche. It was seven o'clock at night. La niña tenía cinco años. The little girl was five years old.

When to use IMPERFECT #4 general mental state or physical sensations Ramón tenía miedo de hablar en público. Ramón was afraid to speak in public. Yo creía que Juan podía hacerlo. I thought that Juan could do it. Me gustaba el coche. I liked the car. (The car was pleasing to me.)

When to use IMPERFECT #5 describe how things were or what things were like. Use the imperfect to describe the characteristics of people, things or conditions. Era un muchacho muy inteligente. He was a very intelligent boy. Era una señorita muy guapa. She was a beautiful young lady. Las ventanas estaban abiertas. The windows were open. La casa era blanca. The house was white.

PRETERITE –VS- IMPERFECT Some verbs actually change meaning, depending upon whether they are used in the preterite or the imperfect.

Verbs that CHANGE PRETERITE IMPERFECT CONOCER: met QUERER: tried NO QUERER: refused SABER: found out PODER: succeed in TENER: received Used to know; knew Wanted Did not want Was able to Used to have

More notes Spanish has two past tenses: preterite and imperfect. Most verbs can be put into either tense, depending upon the meaning.

More notes Some words and phrases indicate specific time frames, and must use the preterite.

More notes Other words and phrases indicate repetitive, vague or non-specific time frames, and must use the imperfect.

Expressions that signal use of PRETERITE ayer la semana pasada Anoche el mes pasado el otro día el año pasado entonces hace dos días, meses, años esta mañana, tarde ayer por la mañana, tarde Yesterday last week last night last month the other day last year Then two days, months, years ago this morning, afternoon yesterday morning, afternoon

Expressions that signal use of IMPERFECT a menudo generalmente a veces muchas veces cada día, mes, año siempre todo el tiempo de vez en cuando frecuentamente nunca muchos veces todos los días, meses, años Often Usually Sometimes many times every day, month, year Always All the time From time to time Frequently Never Many times Every day, month, year

PRETERITE –vs- IMPERFECT REPEATED, HABITUAL ACTION (imperfect) Ellos iban al cine todos los sábados. They went (used to go) to the movies every Saturday. Siempre se sentaban en la primera fila. They always sat (would sit) in the first row. Todas las noches se acostaban tarde. Every night they went (would go) to bed late. COMPLETED ACTION (Preterite) Ellos fueron al cine el sábado pasado. They went to the movies last Saturday. Ayer se sentaron en la última fila. Yesterday they sat in the last row. Anoche se acostaron temprano. Last night they went to bed early.

Two actions in one sentence Narrating a sequence of events Often a sentence may have two or more verbs in the past. The verbs may be in the same tense or in different tenses. In the sentence below, both verbs are in the preterite. Both describe simple actions that began and ended at a specific time in the past. Laura llegó ayer y Pepe la vio. Laura arrived yesterday and Pepe saw her.  

Two actions in one sentence Narrating a sequence of events   2. In the sentence below, the two verbs are in the imperfect because they both describe habitual or continuous actions. The moment when the actions began or ended is unimportant. Durante los inviernos, Adela iba a las montañas a esquiar, pero yo trabajaba. During the winters, Adela went(would go) to the mountains to ski, but I would work.

Two actions in one sentence Narrating a sequence of events   3. In the sentence below, the verb estudiaba is in the imperfect; it describes the background—what was going on. The verb in the preterite, entró, expresses the action or event that interrupted the ongoing action. Yo estudiaba cuando Julia entró. I was studying when Julia entered.

Imperfect Tense Conjugations

1 Hablar hablamos hablé hablaste hablasteis habló hablaron hablaba To talk, to speak hablamos hablé hablaste hablasteis habló hablaron hablaba Hablábamos hablabas hablabais hablaba hablaban

2 comer To eat comí comimos comiste comisteis comió comieron comía comíamos comías comíais comía comían

3 vivir To live viví vivimos viviste vivisteis vivió vivieron vivía vivíamos vivías vivíais vivía vivían

4 ser To be fui fuimos fuiste fuisteis fue fueron era éramos eras erais era eran

5 Estar To be estuve estuvimos estuviste estuvisteis estuvo estuvieron estaba estábamos estabas estabais estaba estaban

6 ir To go fui fuimos fuiste fuisteis fue fueron iba íbamos ibas ibais iban

8 ver To see vi vimos viste visteis vio vieron veía veíamos veías veíais veía veían

13 tener To have 2. tuve tuvimos tuviste tuvisteis tuvo tuvieron 3. tenía teníamos tenías teníais tenía tenían

14 querer 2. quise quisimos quisiste quisisteis quiso quisieron 3. To want, to wish, To love 2. quise quisimos quisiste quisisteis quiso quisieron 3. quería queríamos querías queríais quería querían