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In grammatical terms, "perfect" means "complete," so the Spanish imperfect tense is used to describe an incomplete or ongoing action or state of being, especially when it lasted for a long time. For an introduction to the topic and more in-depth explanations, see our grammar lessons starting with Preterite vs Imperfect I and Imperfect I. The imperfect tense in Spanish is the tense that expresses action in the past that has not been completed, that occurred habitually or frequently, or that took place over an indefinite period of time. Spanish Verb Conjugation: yo miraba, tú mirabas, él / Ud.… Gerald Erichsen is a Spanish language expert who has created Spanish lessons for ThoughtCo since 1998. The following lesson provides a summary overview of the imperfect tense in Spanish. There are two past tense forms in Spanish: the imperfect and the preterite. One reason for the complexity is the Imperfect … This is made up of the imperfect tense of. By itself, the term "imperfect tense" usually refers to its indicative form. The imperfect tense is used to refer to actions in the past that occurred repeatedly. These can be actions that are not yet completed or refer to a time in general in the past. Summary of 'imperfect' endings Next, we have a table for you with all of the first, second and third person conjugations of regular verbs in the imperfect indicative. It contrasts with the preterite tense, which expresses​ an action that took place at a definite time or has been completed. The imperfect is used for past actions that are not seen as completed. NOTE: "dormir" and "querer" are irregular verbs but they have regular conjugation for the imperfect tense. Spanish Verb Conjugation: yo bailaba, tú bailabas, él / Ud.… There are, in fact, 7 past tenses in Spanish but I call the above tenses ‘the big 3’ because you only need to know these 3 tenses to be conversational in Spanish. The last stop in our journey is getting to know the different uses this tense has in the Spanish … ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Sometimes, instead of the ordinary imperfect tense being used to describe what was happening at a given moment in the past when something else occurred interrupting it, the continuous form is used. For the following Imperfect Tense in Spanish worksheet (el pretérito imperfecto), fill in the blanks with the correct conjugation of the Spanish verbs given. Learn to conjugate -ar,-er,-ir verbs in the Spanish imperfect tense with Lingolia’s online grammar lesson. The past imperfect tense is one of ‘the big 3’ Spanish past tenses including the present perfect and past preterite. Veníamos para casa cuando vimos a Juan. 12. English does not have an imperfect tense per se, although it has other ways of expressing the concept of the Spanish imperfect, such as by context or by saying that something used to happen or was happening. I was watching television when my uncle arrived. The imperfect tense in Spanish is the tense that expresses action in the past that has not been completed, that occurred habitually or frequently, or that took place over an indefinite period of time. Then test your knowledge in the free exercises. 3 The question with the imperfect indicative. The imperfect is used to: describe repeated, habitual, or usual actions in the past describe actions that were ongoing in the past Using "were" plus the gerund denotes the imperfect past in English. These may involve situations or repeated actions that occurred over an indefinite period of time. We were coming home when we saw Juan. Learning when to use which is one of the more frustrating things a Spanish student has to do because we just don't think the same way in English. When to Use the Imperfect Tense in Spanish One of the trickiest tenses to learn in Spanish is the Imperfect (or el imperfecto). Imperfect Tense Conjugation of bailar – Imperfecto (de indicativo) de bailar. For example: They were eating dinner when I arrived. Almost always – Casi siempre. Closely related to the first phrase trigger, this time you are talking … The imperfect tense is also used to “set the stage” for an event that occurred in the past. The imperfect tense is generally used for actions in the past that do not have a definite end. Used for ongoing or recurrent actions in the past two simple past tenses including the perfect... As background for another event a long time -abas, -aba, -abas,,! Them is the very small List of irregular verbs the name of this and... Plus the gerund denotes the imperfect ( imperfecto ) is a Spanish past tense forms in:! Uses the preterite tense are both ways to talk about the past school. '' nearly... Providing background information about the imperfect is known as the two Spanish simple past tenses of.... 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