Introduction
sucedíamos is a Spanish verb form that can be understood as we were succeeding, we used to follow, or, in less common situations, we were taking place. Its exact meaning depends on the subject and the context. The word comes from suceder, a verb that most often means to happen or occur, but it can also mean to come after someone or take that person’s place.
For English-speaking learners, this form is useful because it shows how Spanish describes past actions that continued, happened repeatedly, or provided background. It also offers a good example of the imperfect tense and of the accent mark that appears in certain Spanish verb forms. One important point is that people do not usually use this form to say that an event was happening. Spanish more commonly says lo que sucedía, meaning what was happening. Learning when this form sounds natural will help you understand past-tense stories and choose more precise Spanish words.
Meaning and Definition
sucedíamos is the first-person plural form of the imperfect indicative of suceder. First-person plural means the speaker is talking about nosotros or nosotras, or a group that includes the speaker. The imperfect is a past tense used for actions in progress, repeated habits, and descriptions of past situations.
Depending on the context, the basic translation may be we were succeeding, we used to succeed, or we were following. For example, if a group gradually took over a role from another group, sucedíamos could describe that ongoing transition. If a group came after another in a program or sequence, it could mean we followed or came next. English translations may vary because Spanish expresses the past in a different way.
The most common meaning of suceder is to happen or occur. However, that meaning usually has an event or situation as its subject, not a group of people. Spanish speakers commonly say sucedía un cambio or sucedían varias cosas, meaning a change was happening or several things were happening. Saying sucedíamos to mean we were happening is grammatically possible in a special context, but it sounds unusual in everyday conversation. A group of people may use the form more naturally when they are following or succeeding someone.
Suceder can also mean to follow in time or order, and in the construction suceder a alguien it can mean to succeed someone in a position. The small word a is important in that construction: sucedíamos a la directora means we were succeeding the director. It does not mean that we were causing the director to happen. In a sequence, the idea can be less formal: one group came after another in a program, schedule, or list.
The word comes from Latin succedere, formed from elements meaning under or after and to go. The older idea of moving after something helps explain the modern meanings of following, taking someone’s place, and then happening as an event that comes about. This history can be a useful memory aid, though learners should rely on the modern context to identify the intended meaning.
The ending also gives useful grammatical information. The stem is suced-, and the imperfect ending for nosotros or nosotras is -íamos. The full form is therefore suced-íamos. The accent mark over the í is required. It signals the stress and keeps the vowels in separate syllables, rather than allowing them to be pronounced together as one diphthong.
In the imperfect conjugation, the forms are sucedía for yo, sucedías for tú, sucedía for él, ella, or usted, sucedíamos for nosotros or nosotras, sucedíais for vosotros or vosotras, and sucedían for ellos, ellas, or ustedes. This pattern is regular for verbs ending in -er. The same imperfect ending pattern appears in verbs such as comer and aprender.
Usage and Example Sentences
The examples below show the form in contexts involving sequence, roles, and taking turns. Notice that the subject is often understood from the verb ending, so Spanish does not always need the word nosotros.
Spanish: En el programa del festival, sucedíamos al coro infantil.
English: In the festival program, we came after the children’s choir.
Spanish: Durante esos años, sucedíamos a un equipo de organizadores muy experimentado.
English: During those years, we were succeeding a very experienced team of organizers.
Spanish: En la obra escolar, sucedíamos a los músicos en el escenario.
English: In the school play, we went on after the musicians.
Spanish: Nos sucedíamos para explicar cada parte del proyecto.
English: We took turns explaining each part of the project.
Spanish: Según el orden de la lista, sucedíamos al grupo de segundo curso.
English: According to the order of the list, we came after the second-year group.
Spanish: Cuando cambiaba la coordinación, sucedíamos a quienes habían dirigido el club.
English: When the leadership changed, we succeeded the people who had led the club.
Spanish: En cada sesión, nos sucedíamos en la tarea de presentar las nuevas ideas.
English: In each session, we took turns presenting the new ideas.
Spanish: En aquella etapa, sucedíamos a una generación de estudiantes muy creativos.
English: At that stage, we were following a generation of very creative students.
These examples use the imperfect because they describe an ongoing arrangement, a repeated activity, or a background situation. For instance, the first sentence tells where a group appeared in a program; it does not focus on one completed moment. The sentences with nos show the related reflexive construction sucederse. Here, the group members followed one another or took turns.
To describe one completed change or one specific occasion, a speaker might choose the preterite form sucedimos instead. For example, sucedimos al equipo anterior would mean we succeeded the previous team, presenting the succession as a finished event. The imperfect form is more suitable when the succession or sequence was ongoing, repeated, or part of the background.
Synonyms, Antonyms, and Word Usage Differences
The best synonym depends on which meaning of suceder is intended. For the meaning to happen, common alternatives include ocurrir, pasar, and acontecer. Ocurrir and pasar are widely used in everyday Spanish. A speaker might ask qué ocurrió or qué pasó to ask what happened. Acontecer is more formal or literary and is less common in casual conversation. These verbs do not normally replace sucedíamos directly in a sentence about a group of people following someone.
For the meaning to take someone’s place, reemplazar and sustituir are often clearer choices. Reemplazar a una persona means to replace that person, while sustituir a una persona means to substitute for or replace that person. Both are useful when describing a temporary or practical change in a role. Suceder a alguien can sound more like a formal succession, especially when the role is important or continues over time.
When the meaning is to come after something in a sequence, seguir may be a natural alternative. For example, the next activity follows a break can be expressed with seguir in a suitable sentence. Seguir is a broad, common verb with meanings such as to follow, continue, or keep doing something. Suceder can be more specific when the focus is on what comes next in an order or on one person taking over from another.
Antonyms also depend on context. For an event, impedir means to prevent, and evitar means to avoid. These words describe stopping something from happening, not the event itself. For succession, preceder is a useful opposite: it means to come before. If one group came before another, the first group precedió al segundo. If the second group came after the first, it sucedió al primero or followed it.
Do not confuse suceder with éxito-related words such as éxito or exitoso. They may look or sound somewhat related to English success, but they do not mean the same thing. Suceder is a verb about events, order, or taking a role. Tener éxito means to be successful, and ser exitoso or ser exitosa means to be successful. These are different ideas, even if an English learner is tempted to connect them.
Another helpful distinction is between sucedíamos and sucedimos. The first is imperfect and often describes what was happening over a stretch of time or what used to happen. The second is preterite and typically presents the action as completed. A learner should ask whether the sentence gives background or describes a finished event. That question often makes the tense choice clearer.
Pronunciation and Accent
A common pronunciation guide is soo-seh-DEE-ah-mohs. In the International Phonetic Alphabet, the pronunciation is /su.seˈði.a.mos/ in much of Latin America and /su.θeˈði.a.mos/ in many parts of Spain. The difference is the sound of c before e: it is usually like English s in Latin America and like the unvoiced th in thin in much of Spain.
The stress falls on dí: su-ce-DÍ-a-mos. The written accent over the í marks this stress and shows that í and a belong to separate syllables. The word has five syllables: su, ce, dí, a, mos. Say the vowels in dí-a separately, rather than blending them into one sound. The accent is not optional, and leaving it out changes the standard spelling.
The d between vowels is usually softer than the d in English dog. In many Spanish accents, it is pronounced with the tongue close to the teeth, allowing the sound to flow smoothly. The final s should be audible in careful speech, though its strength can vary by region. Try first saying the word slowly by syllable, then connect the syllables at a natural pace.
A frequent learner mistake is placing the stress on the final mos, as if the word followed the usual stress pattern for a word ending in s. The written accent overrides that pattern, so the stress belongs on í. Another mistake is pronouncing the í and a as one combined vowel sound. Keeping the hiatus clear makes the form easier to recognize and helps distinguish it from incorrect spellings such as sucediamos.
Native Speaker Nuance and Usage Context
In everyday Spanish, suceder is especially common in third-person forms when people discuss an event: qué sucede, qué sucedió, or qué sucedía. These mean what is happening, what happened, and what was happening. Because of this pattern, learners may see the verb often without seeing sucedíamos as often. The nosotros form is most natural when the subject group is following another group, taking over a role, or taking turns in a sequence.
Context tells listeners which meaning is intended. If the sentence mentions a position, a predecessor, or a change of leadership, the idea is likely succeeding or taking someone’s place. If it mentions a schedule, a show, or an ordered list, the meaning may be coming after. With nos sucedíamos, the focus is often on people taking turns or following one another. The surrounding words help make the relationship clear.
The word works in both formal and informal situations, but the construction can feel more formal when it refers to succession in an official role. In relaxed conversation, speakers may choose a simpler verb such as seguir, reemplazar, or tomar el lugar de, depending on the intended meaning. Suceder remains useful in written accounts, explanations of a sequence, and stories about how one group followed another over time.
It is also important not to translate English we were happening word for word. When English speakers say something was happening, Spanish usually uses a third-person form such as sucedía algo or pasaban muchas cosas. The grammatical subject is the event or thing, not nosotros. Use sucedíamos when the group itself is the subject and the context supports following, succeeding, or taking turns.
In storytelling, the imperfect can make a scene feel ongoing rather than finished. A sentence about how one group regularly followed another gives background about a routine or arrangement. The preterite, by contrast, can present a single completed transition. This difference is not simply about whether the action lasted a long time; it is about how the speaker chooses to frame the action.
Conclusion
sucedíamos is the nosotros or nosotras imperfect form of suceder. It can mean we were succeeding, we used to follow, or we were coming after someone, depending on context. Although suceder commonly means to happen, this particular form is not usually used to mean we were happening. Spanish normally puts the event itself in the subject position, as in sucedía algo.
Remember the imperfect when the sentence describes an ongoing past situation, a repeated action, or background. For a single completed event, compare it with sucedimos. In natural conversation, use context to distinguish following in a sequence from succeeding someone in a role, and consider alternatives such as seguir, reemplazar, or sustituir when they express your meaning more clearly.
For pronunciation, stress the syllable dí and keep the í and a in separate syllables. The accent mark is essential to both the spelling and the sound. Learning this form helps you recognize past-tense patterns, understand Spanish stories, and describe how groups or roles followed one another.
