Imperfect Past in Spanish

Apr 19, 2025

If you’re starting to explore past tenses in Spanish, you’ve probably encountered the Pretérito Imperfecto (Imperfect Past). This tense might seem confusing at first, but don’t worry—it’s actually one of the most descriptive and storytelling-friendly tenses in Spanish! Let’s break it down step by step for A1 learners.

What Is the Imperfect Past?

The Pretérito Imperfecto is used to talk about:

Past habits (things you used to do regularly).
- Example: Cuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol todos los días.
  (When I was a kid, I used to play soccer every day.)
Descriptions (setting the scene in the past).
- Example: El parque era grande y tenía muchos árboles.
  (The park was big and had lots of trees.)
Ongoing actions (what was happening at the same time as another action).
- Example: Mientras caminaba, llovía.
  (While I was walking, it was raining.)

How to Conjugate the Imperfect Past

For A1 learners, focus on regular verbs first. Here’s the pattern:

-AR Verbs (e.g., hablar = to speak)
-ER/-IR Verbs (e.g., comer = to eat, vivir = to live)

⚠️ Irregular Verbs Alert!
Only 3 verbs are important for you to learn as an A1 Spanish learner:

Ser (to be): era, eras, era, éramos, eran
Ir (to go): iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, iban
Ver (to see): veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veían

When to Use the Imperfect Past

Habits & Routines:
- Siempre veía dibujos animados los sábados.
  (I used to watch cartoons every Saturday.)
Time, Age & Weather:
- Eran las tres de la tarde. (It was 3 p.m.)
- Tenía 10 años. (I was 10 years old.)
- Hacía frío. (It was cold.)
Describing People/Places:
- Mi abuela era muy amable.
  (My grandmother was very kind.)

Common Phrases That Trigger the Imperfect

Look for these clues in sentences:

Antes (Before): Antes, vivía en México.
Todos los días (Every day): Todos los días estudiaba español.
De niño/a (As a child): De niño, jugaba con mis amigos.

What NOT to Do

Don’t confuse the Imperfect with the Preterite (Pretérito Indefinido)! The Preterite is for completed actions, while the Imperfect sets the background.