All tenses have irregular verb forms, but the imperfecto is one of the easiest tenses to learn since there are very few of them.
Reviewing the Uses of the Imperfect Tense
Rule 1. The imperfect is used to talk about habitual actions and to describe emotions, conditions, or ongoing situations where the time frame is not important. If it were important, you would use the preterite.
Regular Verb Conjugation
Rule 2. The following endings are used to conjugate regular verbs in the imperfect:
| Subject Pronouns | -ar ending verbs such as hablar | -er and -ir ending vebs such as escribir |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaba | escribía |
| tú | hablabas | escribías |
| él, ella, usted | hablaba | escribía |
| nosotros, nosotras | hablábamos | escribíamos |
| vosotros, vosotras | hablabais | escribíais |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | hablaban | escribían |
Note how the first person (yo) and the third person (él, ella, and usted) singular are identical. So, it is important that you pay attention to the context if the subject is not specified.
Irregular Verbs in the Imperfect
Rule 3. As mentioned, the imperfect has the easiest irregularities to learn, because there are only three. These are ser, ir, and ver.
| Subject Pronouns | Ser | Ver | Ir |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | era | veía | iba |
| tú | eras | veías | ibas |
| él, ella, usted | era | veía | iba |
| nosotros, nosotras | éramos | veíamos | íbamos |
| vosotros, vosotras | erais | veíais | ibais |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | eran | veían | iban |
Quiz
1/3Cuando __________ niña, salía a jugar mucho.