Imperfect tense - uses

When do I use the Spanish imperfect?

• Not to say what happened once and is finished (that is usually pretérito indefinido).
• You use the imperfect to give background information in the past.

Think of it as the tense for:

• Habits in the past: what you used to do regularly.
• Descriptions in the past: what things were like.
• Actions in progress in the past: what was happening.
• Plans / intentions in the past: what you were going to do.
• Polite requests: softening a question or request.

Imperfect vs. simple past: the core idea

A quick way to decide:

• Imperfect = camera on “record”, we see the situation in progress or as a habit.
• Indefinido (simple past) = camera takes a photo of a completed action.

Tip: If you “zoom in” and want to show the process or the routine, use the imperfect.

Typical time expressions with the imperfect

These words often signal a habit or an ongoing past situation:

• siempre – always
• normalmente, generalmente – normally, generally
• a menudo, frecuentemente – often, frequently
• todos los días / lunes / veranos… – every day / Monday / summer…
• de niño, de joven, antes – as a child, when I was young, before

These are strong hints that the imperfect is a good choice.

How to form the imperfect (quick visual rule)

Take the root of the verb and add these endings:

Spelling note: all -er / -ir endings have an accent on í (–ía, –ías, etc.).

The three irregular verbs you must know

Only three verbs are irregular in the imperfect:

• Notice the accent in éramos and in all forms of ver.
• These three appear constantly in stories and descriptions.

1. Habits and routines in the past

Use the imperfect for things you regularly did in the past.

• De niño estudiaba en un colegio público.
  → As a child I used to study at a public school.
• En mi antiguo trabajo, cada semana teníamos una reunión larga.
  → At my old job, every week we had a long meeting.

Self-check:

1. Can you add “used to” in English? If yes, imperfect is probably correct.
2. Is the focus on the repetition, not on one specific time? Then use the imperfect.

2. Descriptions and background

Use the imperfect to say what people, places or situations were like.

• El campus era muy grande y moderno.
  → The campus was very big and modern.
• La secretaria siempre estaba ocupada.
  → The secretary was always busy.

In stories, the imperfect often appears at the beginning to set the scene.

3. Actions in progress and interruptions

Use the imperfect for the action that was in progress when something else happened.

• Cuando llegué al campus, hablaban con la administración.
  → When I arrived, they were talking to administration.
• Ayer, de 9 a 11, trabajábamos en el proyecto.
  → Yesterday, from 9 to 11, we were working on the project.

Typical pattern:

• Imperfect = long action in the background.
• Indefinido = short action that interrupts or happens once.

Example:

• Estudiaba en la biblioteca cuando cerraron la universidad.
  → I was studying (background) when they closed (completed action) the university.

Self-check: Can you translate it with “was / were … -ing”? Then the imperfect is usually the right choice.

4. Plans and intentions in the past: iba a + infinitive

Use iba a + infinitive to say what you were going to do (but maybe did not do).

• Iba a solicitar plaza cuando cerraron la oficina.
  → I was going to apply for a place when they closed the office.
• Yo iba a enviar la solicitud, pero tuve una reunión urgente.
  → I was going to send the application, but I had an urgent meeting.

Form it like this:

• ir (imperfect) + a + infinitive:
• iba a solicitar, íbamos a pedir, iban a cambiar…

Parallel in English: very close to “was / were going to + verb”.

5. Polite imperfect: sounding more diplomatic

Sometimes Spanish uses the imperfect to sound more polite or less direct.

• Querría información sobre la matrícula.
  → I would like some information about the enrollment.
• Quería hacerle unas preguntas sobre el curso.
  → I wanted / I would like to ask you some questions about the course.

Compare:

• Quiero información. → direct, neutral.
• Quería / querría información. → softer, more polite in a formal context.

Useful polite imperfect verbs:

• quería / querría – I would like…
• podía / podría – could I…?

Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

• 1. Using indefinido when you mean a habit
  *Cuando era estudiante, trabajé en una cafetería.*
  Cuando era estudiante, trabajaba en una cafetería.
  → It was a regular job during that period.
• 2. Forgetting the accent in –ía forms
  *tenia, comia, vivia*
  tenía, comía, vivía
  → Always write í in –ía, –ías, –íamos, –íais, –ían.
• 3. Mixing up background (imperfect) and main event (indefinido)
  *Cuando llegaba al campus, hablaban con la administración.* (here we want one specific arrival)
  Cuando llegué al campus, hablaban con la administración.

Step-by-step: how to choose the tense

1. Ask: Is this action a finished event?
   If yes, you probably need the indefinido, not the imperfect.
2. Ask: Is it a habit, description, or something in progress?
   If yes, use the imperfect.
3. Ask: Am I talking about a plan that existed then?
   If yes, use iba a + infinitive.
4. Ask: Am I trying to sound polite?
   If yes, try quería / querría / podía / podría instead of the present.

Quick self-check: can I do this now?

• Can I form the imperfect for any regular -ar, -er, -ir verb?
• Do I remember the three irregulars: era, iba, veía?
• Can I talk about my childhood studies and work using the imperfect?
• Can I describe what was happening when I arrived somewhere?
• Can I say what I was going to do with iba a + infinitive?
• Can I make a polite request with quería / querría?

If you can answer “yes” to most of these points, you are ready to use the imperfect confidently in conversation.