{"id":90,"date":"2025-03-12T08:19:11","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T08:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mariaortegagarcia.com\/?p=90"},"modified":"2025-03-12T10:17:27","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T10:17:27","slug":"imperfecto-indicativo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mariaortegagarcia.com\/es\/spanish-blog\/imperfecto-indicativo\/","title":{"rendered":"Describe in the past (Imperfecto de Indicativo)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Imperfect \u2013\u00a0Pret\u00e9rito Imperfecto<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 is used to talk about the past in Spanish. In the majority of situations, when we use the imperfecto is not to give the main information but to give the context that surrounds the main information.<\/p>

  • El pasado fin de semana estuve tomando el sol en la playa, hac\u00eda mucho calor y brillaba el sol.
    \u2013\u00a0Last weekend I was sunbathing on the beach, it was very warm and the sun shone.<\/i><\/li><\/ul>

    The main information is that I was sunbathing on the beach and the secondary information, the context of the situation, is that the weather was warm and sunny.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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    Form<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    To conjugate a regular verb in the imperfect you just need to drop the ending -ar, -er, or -ir from the infinitive form and add the endings.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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    There are only 3 irregular imperfect verbs forms, \u201cser<\/i><\/b>\u201d (to be), \u201cir<\/i><\/b>\u201d (to go) and \u201cver<\/i><\/b>\u201d (to see).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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    Use<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The main use of the imperfecto<\/em> is for\u00a0describing things, people, animals or situations in the past<\/b>:<\/p>

    1. Describe\u00a0qualities, characteristics or attributes<\/b>.<\/li>
    2. Describe\u00a0habitual actions in the past<\/b>. It\u2019s the equivalent of \u201cused to\u2026<\/i>\u201c<\/li>
    3. Describe\u00a0specific situations in the past.<\/b><\/li><\/ol>

      Examples:<\/p>

      1.\u00a0qualities, characteristics or attributes<\/b>.<\/h6>
      • Mi casa era peque\u00f1a y oscura.
        \u2013 Mi house was small and dark.<\/i><\/li>
      • Mi padre era rubio y llevaba bigote.
        \u2013\u00a0Mi father was blond and wore a moustache.<\/i><\/li><\/ul>
        2. habitual actions in the past<\/b><\/h6>
        • Iba a la piscina todas las ma\u00f1anas el a\u00f1o pasado.
          \u2013 I used to go to swimming pool every morning last year.<\/i><\/li>
        • Cuando era joven pod\u00eda tocarme los dedos de los pies con la mano.
          \u2013 When I was young I could touch my toes with my fingers.<\/i><\/li><\/ul>
          3. specific situations in the past<\/b><\/h6>
          • Estaba en casa de mi novio y comimos una pizza.
            \u2013 I was at my boyfriend\u2019s house and we ate a pizza.\u00a0<\/i><\/li><\/ul>
            • We also use the imperfect for\u00a0actions happening in the past that are not seen as completed<\/b>\u00a0(the past action did not have a definite beginning or end).<\/li><\/ul>
              • Cuando estudiaba en la universidad, sal\u00eda de fiesta todas las noches.
                \u2013 When I studied in college, I went out partying every night.<\/i><\/li>
              • Hac\u00eda mucho fr\u00edo y llov\u00eda a menudo.
                \u2013 It was very cold and it rained often.<\/i><\/li><\/ul>
                • It\u2019s used to\u00a0tell the time and stating one\u2019s age<\/b>.<\/li>
                • Eran las 3 de la tarde cuando son\u00f3 el tel\u00e9fono.
                  \u2013 It was 3 o\u2019clock in the afternoon when the telephone rang.<\/i><\/li>
                • Ten\u00eda 25 a\u00f1os aquel verano.
                  \u2013 I was 25 that summer.<\/i><\/li><\/ul>

                  When we want to\u00a0tell a story<\/b>\u00a0we can combine the imperfecto and the indefinido.<\/p>

                  • Era de noche y la calle estaba vac\u00eda. Yo volv\u00eda a casa sola cuando\u00a0o\u00ed<\/i>\u00a0que alguien me llamaba. Me\u00a0di<\/i>\u00a0la vuelta y no\u00a0vi<\/i>\u00a0a nadie. Estaba muy asustada, as\u00ed que\u00a0ech\u00e9<\/i>\u00a0a correr.
                    \u2013 It was dark and the street was empty. I was coming back home when I heard someone calling my name. I turned around and I didn\u2019t see anybody. I was very scared so I started running.<\/i><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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                    Timer markers used with the imperfecto:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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                    a veces
                    de vez en cuando
                    cada mes\/a\u00f1o
                    todas las semanas
                    normalmente \u00a0
                    siempre<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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                    antes \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0
                    muchas veces \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0
                    cada d\u00eda\/semana \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0
                    todos los d\u00edas \u00a0\u00a0
                    generalmente \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0
                    nunca \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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                    a menudo
                    frecuentemente
                    cada verano
                    en aquellos d\u00edas
                    mucho
                    de joven<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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