Introduction
Learning to talk about past habits and routines is essential for any Spanish learner. If you want to express what you used to do or how things used to be, you’ll need to master the Spanish imperfect tense. Unlike English, which requires the phrase used to, Spanish accomplishes this meaning through verb conjugation alone, making it both elegant and efficient once you understand the pattern.
- Understanding the Imperfect Tense in Spanish
- Regular Verb Conjugations in the Imperfect
- The Three Irregular Verbs
- When to Use the Imperfect for Past Habits
- Common Time Expressions with the Imperfect
- Describing Background and Ongoing Situations
- Imperfect vs. Preterite: Understanding the Difference
- Soler: Another Way to Express Habits
- Practice Examples: Translating English to Spanish
- Cultural Notes on Discussing the Past
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Building Fluency with the Imperfect
- Conclusion
Understanding the Imperfect Tense in Spanish
The imperfecto (imperfect tense) is one of the most useful past tenses in Spanish. While the preterite tense describes completed actions with clear beginnings and endings, the imperfecto paints a picture of ongoing, habitual, or repeated actions in the past. When you say something like I used to play soccer every weekend, you’re describing a past habit without specifying when it started or ended—this is the perfect scenario for the imperfect tense.
In English, we rely heavily on the construction used to plus an infinitive verb. Spanish speakers, however, simply conjugate their verbs in the imperfect form. This means that one Spanish verb can convey what requires three words in English.
Regular Verb Conjugations in the Imperfect
The good news is that the imperfect tense has incredibly regular conjugation patterns. There are only three irregular verbs in this tense, which we’ll cover later. Let’s start with the regular verbs.
AR Verbs in the Imperfect
For verbs ending in -ar, you remove the -ar and add the following endings:
yo -aba
tú -abas
él/ella/usted -aba
nosotros/nosotras -ábamos
vosotros/vosotras -abais
ellos/ellas/ustedes -aban
Let’s use hablar (to speak) as an example:
yo hablaba (I used to speak / I was speaking)
tú hablabas (you used to speak)
él hablaba (he used to speak)
nosotros hablábamos (we used to speak)
vosotros hablabais (you all used to speak)
ellos hablaban (they used to speak)
Notice how hablaba can mean either I used to speak or I was speaking, depending on context. This dual meaning is one of the characteristics that makes the imperfect so versatile.
ER and IR Verbs in the Imperfect
Verbs ending in -er and -ir share the same set of endings in the imperfect tense. Remove the infinitive ending and add:
yo -ía
tú -ías
él/ella/usted -ía
nosotros/nosotras -íamos
vosotros/vosotras -íais
ellos/ellas/ustedes -ían
Using comer (to eat) and vivir (to live):
yo comía (I used to eat)
tú vivías (you used to live)
ella comía (she used to eat)
nosotros vivíamos (we used to live)
ellos comían (they used to eat)
The Three Irregular Verbs
Only three verbs are irregular in the imperfect tense: ser (to be), ir (to go), and ver (to see). Memorizing these is essential since they appear frequently in everyday conversation.
Ser (To Be)
yo era (I used to be)
tú eras (you used to be)
él/ella/usted era (he/she/you used to be)
nosotros/nosotras éramos (we used to be)
vosotros/vosotras erais (you all used to be)
ellos/ellas/ustedes eran (they/you all used to be)
Ir (To Go)
yo iba (I used to go)
tú ibas (you used to go)
él/ella/usted iba (he/she/you used to go)
nosotros/nosotras íbamos (we used to go)
vosotros/vosotras ibais (you all used to go)
ellos/ellas/ustedes iban (they/you all used to go)
Ver (To See)
yo veía (I used to see)
tú veías (you used to see)
él/ella/usted veía (he/she/you used to see)
nosotros/nosotras veíamos (we used to see)
vosotros/vosotras veíais (you all used to see)
ellos/ellas/ustedes veían (they/you all used to see)
When to Use the Imperfect for Past Habits
The imperfect tense shines when describing repeated or habitual actions in the past. Any time you would say used to, would always, or would often in English, you’ll likely use the imperfect in Spanish.
Childhood Memories and Routines
One of the most common uses is describing childhood activities and routines:
Cuando era niño, jugaba en el parque todos los días.
When I was a child, I used to play in the park every day.
Mi abuela siempre cocinaba los domingos.
My grandmother always used to cook on Sundays.
Íbamos a la playa cada verano.
We used to go to the beach every summer.
Regular Past Activities
The imperfect also describes any regular activity that occurred over an unspecified period:
Trabajaba en una librería antes.
I used to work in a bookstore before.
Mis padres vivían en Madrid en los años ochenta.
My parents used to live in Madrid in the eighties.
Veíamos esa serie todas las semanas.
We used to watch that series every week.
Common Time Expressions with the Imperfect
Certain time expressions frequently accompany the imperfect tense because they indicate habitual or repeated actions. Recognizing these phrases will help you identify when to use the imperfect:
Siempre (always)
Todos los días (every day)
Cada semana (each week)
A menudo (often)
Frecuentemente (frequently)
Generalmente (generally)
Normalmente (normally)
De niño/niña (as a child)
En aquella época (in those days)
Antes (before)
Examples using these expressions:
Normalmente cenábamos a las nueve.
We normally used to eat dinner at nine.
De niña, leía mucho.
As a girl, I used to read a lot.
En aquella época, todo era más barato.
In those days, everything used to be cheaper.
Describing Background and Ongoing Situations
Beyond habitual actions, the imperfect also sets the scene or describes background conditions in the past. This usage might not directly translate to used to in English, but it follows the same grammatical structure:
Hacía frío y llovía.
It was cold and it was raining.
La casa tenía un jardín grande.
The house had a big garden.
Eran las tres de la tarde.
It was three in the afternoon.
Imperfect vs. Preterite: Understanding the Difference
One challenge for English speakers is choosing between the imperfect and preterite tenses. While both refer to the past, they serve different purposes.
Use the imperfecto for:
– Habitual or repeated actions (I used to walk to school)
– Ongoing actions without specified endpoints (I was reading when you called)
– Descriptions and background information (The sky was blue)
– Age, time, and mental states in the past (I was ten years old)
Use the preterite for:
– Completed actions with clear beginnings and endings (I walked to the store yesterday)
– Actions that happened a specific number of times (I went to Spain three times)
– Events that interrupted ongoing actions (The phone rang while I was reading)
Compare these examples:
Comía pizza los viernes. (imperfect)
I used to eat pizza on Fridays.
Comí pizza el viernes. (preterite)
I ate pizza on Friday.
Soler: Another Way to Express Habits
While the imperfect alone effectively conveys used to, Spanish has another structure that explicitly emphasizes habitual actions: the verb soler plus an infinitive.
Solía specifically means used to and can add extra emphasis to habitual actions:
Solía correr por las mañanas.
I used to run in the mornings.
Solíamos visitar a nuestros abuelos.
We used to visit our grandparents.
However, using the simple imperfect is more common and natural in everyday Spanish. Soler tends to appear more in formal writing or when speakers want to emphasize the habitual nature of an action.
Practice Examples: Translating English to Spanish
Let’s practice converting English sentences with used to into Spanish using the imperfect:
English: I used to drink coffee every morning.
Spanish: Tomaba café todas las mañanas.
English: They used to live in Barcelona.
Spanish: Vivían en Barcelona.
English: She used to study French in high school.
Spanish: Estudiaba francés en la secundaria.
English: We used to go dancing on Saturdays.
Spanish: Íbamos a bailar los sábados.
English: My brother used to play guitar in a band.
Spanish: Mi hermano tocaba la guitarra en una banda.
Cultural Notes on Discussing the Past
In Spanish-speaking cultures, reminiscing about the past is a common social activity. The imperfect tense allows speakers to share nostalgic memories and childhood experiences with rich detail. Conversations often revolve around cómo eran las cosas antes (how things used to be), especially among older generations discussing how life has changed.
This cultural tendency to reflect on the past makes mastering the imperfect tense particularly valuable for meaningful conversations. Whether you’re discussing your own memories or listening to others share theirs, the imperfecto will be your constant companion.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Beginners often make certain predictable errors when learning the imperfect:
Mistake: Using the preterite for habitual actions
Wrong: Fui al gimnasio todos los días.
Right: Iba al gimnasio todos los días. (I used to go to the gym every day)
Mistake: Forgetting the accent marks
Wrong: Comia
Right: Comía
Mistake: Confusing ser and ir in the imperfect
Remember: era (was) vs. iba (used to go)
Building Fluency with the Imperfect
To truly master expressing used to in Spanish, consistent practice is essential. Try these techniques:
Write about your childhood using only the imperfect tense. Describe where you lived, what you did after school, what your family was like, and what activities you enjoyed. This exercise will quickly build your confidence with imperfect conjugations.
Listen to native speakers tell stories about their past. Pay attention to how frequently they use the imperfecto and which time expressions accompany it. Spanish podcasts featuring personal narratives are excellent resources.
Create comparison sentences contrasting past and present: Antes vivía en el campo, pero ahora vivo en la ciudad. (I used to live in the countryside, but now I live in the city.)
Conclusion
Mastering how to say used to in Spanish through the imperfect tense opens up a new dimension of expression. Unlike English, which requires a separate phrase, Spanish elegantly integrates this meaning directly into verb conjugations. Whether you’re sharing childhood memories, describing past routines, or painting a picture of how things were, the imperfecto provides the perfect tool. With regular endings for most verbs and only three irregulars to memorize, this tense is more approachable than it might initially seem. Practice regularly, and soon you’ll be reminiscing in Spanish with natural fluency.
