What is the difference between the imperfect and the preterite?

The preterite describes completed actions at a specific point in time. The imperfect describes ongoing states, habitual actions, or background context. They are often used together: the imperfect sets the scene, the preterite provides the action.

How many irregular verbs are there in the imperfect?

Only three: ser (era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran), ir (iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban), and ver (veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían). All other verbs are regular.

How do you express "used to" in Spanish?

Use the imperfect tense. "I used to live in Madrid" = Vivía en Madrid. "She used to sing" = Cantaba. There is no separate construction; the imperfect naturally conveys this meaning.

Can the imperfect be used as a polite form?

Yes — using the imperfect softens requests. Quería un café (I would like a coffee) sounds more polite than Quiero un café. This is common in service situations.

Do stem-changing verbs affect the imperfect tense?

No — stem-changing verbs are regular in the imperfect. The stem change only occurs in the present, preterite (some -IR verbs), and subjunctive tenses.

Pretérito Imperfecto

The Spanish Imperfect Tense

Ongoing states and habits in the past

The Spanish imperfect tense (el pretérito imperfecto) describes past actions that were ongoing, habitual, or repeated without a defined end point. It sets the scene and provides background context.

If the preterite is a photograph, the imperfect is a painting — it evokes a mood, a background, or a routine rather than a single completed event.

The imperfect is remarkably regular: only three verbs are truly irregular (ser, ir, ver), making it one of the easier past tenses to learn.

When to use the Imperfect tense

Habitual past actions: De niño, comía helado todos los viernes. (As a child, I used to eat ice cream every Friday.)
Ongoing states or descriptions: La casa era grande y tenía muchas ventanas.
Background context for a preterite event: Llovía cuando salí de casa.
Time, age, or conditions in the past: Eran las tres de la tarde. / Tenía diez años.
Polite requests (softening effect): Quería un café, por favor.

How to form the Imperfect tense

-AR verbs

Pronoun	Ending
yo	hablaba
tú	hablabas
él/ella	hablaba
nosotros	hablábamos
vosotros	hablabais
ellos/ellas	hablaban

-ER verbs

Pronoun	Ending
yo	comía
tú	comías
él/ella	comía
nosotros	comíamos
vosotros	comíais
ellos/ellas	comían

-IR verbs

Pronoun	Ending
yo	vivía
tú	vivías
él/ella	vivía
nosotros	vivíamos
vosotros	vivíais
ellos/ellas	vivían

-ER and -IR verbs share identical imperfect endings (-ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían). Only ser (era), ir (iba), and ver (veía) are irregular.

"Cuando era niño, vivía cerca del mar." When I was a child, I used to live near the sea.

Common time signals

siempre
antes
normalmente
generalmente
a veces
todos los días
a menudo
mientras
cuando era niño/a
en aquel entonces
de pequeño/a
cada día

Top 20 verbs in the Imperfect tense

ser to be (essential/permanent)

yo era tú eras él/ella era

estar to be (state/location)

yo estaba tú estabas él/ella estaba

tener to have

yo tenía tú tenías él/ella tenía

hacer to do / to make

yo hacía tú hacías él/ella hacía

poder to be able to / can

yo podía tú podías él/ella podía

decir to say / to tell

yo decía tú decías él/ella decía

ir to go

yo iba tú ibas él/ella iba

ver to see

yo veía tú veías él/ella veía

dar to give

yo daba tú dabas él/ella daba

saber to know (facts)

yo sabía tú sabías él/ella sabía

querer to want / to love

yo quería tú querías él/ella quería

llegar to arrive

yo llegaba tú llegabas él/ella llegaba

pasar to pass / to happen / to spend (time)

yo pasaba tú pasabas él/ella pasaba

deber to owe / must / should

yo debía tú debías él/ella debía

poner to put / to place

yo ponía tú ponías él/ella ponía

parecer to seem / to appear

yo parecía tú parecías él/ella parecía

quedar to stay / to remain / to be left

yo quedaba tú quedabas él/ella quedaba

creer to believe / to think

yo creía tú creías él/ella creía

hablar to speak / to talk

yo hablaba tú hablabas él/ella hablaba

llevar to carry / to take / to wear

yo llevaba tú llevabas él/ella llevaba

Showing 20 of 1316 verbs. Browse by category to explore more.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the imperfect and the preterite?: The preterite describes completed actions at a specific point in time. The imperfect describes ongoing states, habitual actions, or background context. They are often used together: the imperfect sets the scene, the preterite provides the action.
How many irregular verbs are there in the imperfect?: Only three: ser (era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran), ir (iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban), and ver (veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían). All other verbs are regular.
How do you express "used to" in Spanish?: Use the imperfect tense. "I used to live in Madrid" = Vivía en Madrid. "She used to sing" = Cantaba. There is no separate construction; the imperfect naturally conveys this meaning.
Can the imperfect be used as a polite form?: Yes — using the imperfect softens requests. Quería un café (I would like a coffee) sounds more polite than Quiero un café. This is common in service situations.
Do stem-changing verbs affect the imperfect tense?: No — stem-changing verbs are regular in the imperfect. The stem change only occurs in the present, preterite (some -IR verbs), and subjunctive tenses.

Browse by category

Explore Imperfect tense verbs grouped by topic.