The Imperfect Tense

yo (I)tu (you(singular))el/ella/usted (he/she/you(polite))nosotros/as (we)(vosotros/as (you(plural))ellos/ellas/ustedes (they/they(polite))

  Hablar(to speak)

    Hacer(to do/make)

  Vivir(to live)

hablabahablabashablabahablabamoshablabaishablaban

haciahaciashaciahaciamoshaciaishacian

viviaviviasviviaviviamosviviaisvivian

The imperfect tense is formed by taking the infinitive of the verb, removing the infinitives ending (-ar, -er, -ir) and then adding the following endings.

Note that -er and -ir verbs take the same endings in the imperfect!

There are three verbs that are irregular in the imperfect tense.

yo (I)tu (you(singular))el/ella/usted (he/she/you(polite))nosotros/as (we)(vosotros/as (you(plural))ellos/ellas/ustedes (they/they(polite))

   ir(to go)

  ser(to be)

   ver(to see)

ibaibasibaibamosibaisiban

eraeraseraeramoseraiseran

veiaveiasveiaveiamosveiaisveian

What is it and when do I use it?The imperfect tense is another way of talking about the past. it is used in Spanish to describe: repeated actions in the pastComiamos a las dos todos los dias. - (we ate at two everyday) background detail (what someone or something was like or was doing):El hotel era muy grande. - (the hotel was very big)what people used to do and what things used to be like:Antes vivia con mis abuelos, pero ahora vivo sola. - (I used to live with my grandparents, but I live on my own now.)

Why is it important?To tell a story in the past successfully you need to be able to use the imperfect tense for descriptions and repeated actions.

Things to watch out forYou use the preterite for single events in the past and the imperfect tense for repeated or continuous actions in the past. 

The imperfect tense of haber and hay(there is) is habia(there was/were). Habia is very useful for describing what things used to be like.

Habia mucho gente en la tienda. (There were a lot of people in the shop.)

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