Pretérito Imperfecto in Spanish: A2 Grammar Guide

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Key Takeaways

• Master the conjugation rules for regular and irregular verbs in the Pretérito Imperfecto
• Understand when to use this tense for descriptions, habits, and ongoing past actions
• Learn the key differences between the Imperfecto and the Indefinido
• Practice forming sentences to set the scene and talk about what “used to” happen
• Use this tense to describe people, places, and situations in the past

Describe the Past in Spanish

The Pretérito Imperfecto (Imperfect Tense) is the other essential past tense in Spanish. While the Indefinido is for completed actions, the Imperfecto is for the background of the past. It describes what was happening, what used to happen, or what things were like. It sets the scene!

When to Use the Pretérito Imperfecto (Cuándo Usarlo)

Use this tense for:

• ✅ Past Descriptions: Describing people, places, weather, and states of mind in the past.
• ✅ Habitual Actions: Talking about what you “used to” do repeatedly.
• ✅ Ongoing Actions: Actions that were in progress when something else happened.
• ✅ Time and Age: Telling time or stating your age in the past.

Example Sentences:

• “Era un día soleado y los pájaros cantaban.” (It was a sunny day and the birds were singing.) [Description]
• “De niño, iba a la playa todos los veranos.” (As a child, I used to go to the beach every summer.) [Habit]
• “Eran las tres de la tarde cuando llegó.” (It was three in the afternoon when he arrived.) [Time]

Regular Verb Conjugations (Conjugaciones Regulares)

Table: Regular -AR, -ER, and -IR Verb Endings – Easy-to-learn patterns

Subject	-AR Verbs (Hablar)	-ER Verbs (Comer)	-IR Verbs (Vivir)
Yo	hablaba	comía	vivía
Tú	hablabas	comías	vivías
Él/Ella/Usted	hablaba	comía	vivía
Nosotros/Nosotras	hablábamos	comíamos	vivíamos
Vosotros/Vosotras	hablabais	comíais	vivíais
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	hablaban	comían	vivían

💡 Grammar Tip: The endings for -ER and -IR verbs are identical in the Imperfecto! This makes it one of the easiest tenses to learn.

💡 Interactive Practice: Want to check any verb’s conjugation? Use Spanish Verb Conjugation Tool ► to practice the Indefinido, Imperfecto, and all other tenses with instant feedback.

The Three Irregular Verbs (Solo Tres Verbos Irregulares)

The best part about the Imperfecto? There are only three irregular verbs!

Table: The Only Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect Tense – Easy to memorize

Infinitive	Yo	Tú	Él/Ella/Usted	Nosotros	Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes
Ir (to go)	iba	ibas	iba	íbamos	iban
Ser (to be)	era	eras	era	éramos	eran
Ver (to see)	veía	veías	veía	veíamos	veían

Imperfecto vs. Indefinido: The Key Difference

This is the most important concept to grasp at the A2 level!

Background descriptions (“The sky was blue”)	Completed actions (“She arrived at 5pm”)
Habitual actions (“I used to visit my grandma”)	A sequence of events (“I woke up, showered, and left“)
Ongoing actions (“I was reading when…”)	Actions with a specific number of times (“I called her three times”)
Time and age (“It was 10 o’clock”, “I was 10 years old”)	Actions that interrupt ongoing ones (“I was reading when the phone rang“)

🔍 Grammar Focus: Often, both tenses are used together in the same story. The Imperfecto sets the scene, and the Indefinido tells what happened. “Era (I) de noche y llovía (I). De repente, oyó (Ind) un ruido extraño.” (It was night and it was raining. Suddenly, he heard a strange noise.)

Time Expressions that Trigger the Imperfecto

These words often signal that you need to use the Pretérito Imperfecto:

English	Spanish
Always	siempre
Every day	todos los días
Usually / Normally	normalmente / generalmente
Often	a menudo
Sometimes	a veces
As a child	cuando era niño/niña
While / When	mientras / cuando

Putting It All Together: A Story Using Both Past Tenses

Un Recuerdo de la Infancia (A Childhood Memory)
“Cuando era niño, vivíamos en una casa pequeña. Tenía un jardín grande donde jugaba todos los días. Un día, mientras jugaba en el jardín, encontré un antiguo anillo. Fue una sorpresa increíble.”

Translation:
“When I was a child, we lived in a small house. It had a big garden where I played every day. One day, while I was playing in the garden, I found an old ring. It was an incredible surprise.”

(Words in bold are Imperfecto, underlines are Indefinido)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using Indefinido for “used to”: For habits, you must use the Imperfecto (“iba,” not “fui”).
2. Translating “was” incorrectly: English “was” can be Imperfecto (description) or Indefinido (action). “The house was big” (Imperfecto: “era”) vs. “I was in Madrid” (Indefinido: “estuve”).
3. Forgetting the accent: The Nosotros form for -AR verbs has an accent: hablábamos.
4. Overcomplicating irregulars: Remember, there are only three!
5. Ignoring time expressions: Words like “siempre” (always) are strong clues to use the Imperfecto.

Quick Reference Chart

Category	Key Points
Primary Use	Descriptions, habits, and ongoing past actions
Regular Endings	-aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban / -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían
Key Irregulars	Ir, Ser, Ver (only three!)
Time Expressions	siempre, todos los días, cuando era niño
Key Difference	Imperfecto = background; Indefinido = main events

Practice Exercise: Choose the Right Tense

Choose between the Imperfecto (I) and Indefinido (Ind) and conjugate the verb.

1. Ayer, yo (estar) en casa cuando (empezar) a llover.
2. De pequeño, mi familia y yo (ver) una película cada viernes.
3. Ella (tener) 20 años cuando (conseguir) su primer trabajo.

Answers:

1. estaba (I), empezó (Ind) – I was at home when it started to rain.
2. veíamos (I) – As a child, my family and I used to watch a movie every Friday.
3. tenía (I), consiguió (Ind) – She was 20 years old when she got her first job.

📚 Need to review the other past tense? Go back to completed actions: Pretérito Indefinido: A2 Grammar Guide

Ready to Practice?

Think you’ve mastered the Pretérito Imperfecto? Test your knowledge of descriptions and habits in the past!

Take Our Pretérito Imperfecto Quiz ►

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