Uses of the Imperfect
Spanish: Cambridge International GCSE, topic 8.4.2
Uses of the Imperfect Tense
Non-specific time
- When the time period is not clear, and the action isn't finished you need to use the imperfect.
- En esos años Theo vivía en un pequeño apartamento.
- In those days Theo was living in a small apartment.
Repeated actions in the past
- Todos los días comía una naranja.
- Every day I ate an orange.
- Almorzábamos todos los sábados.
- We used to eat lunch every Saturday.
Description
- When describing people, objects and events in the past, you must use the imperfect.
- La casa era grande.
- The house was big.
- Mi amiga era alta.
- My friend was tall.
- Aquel día hacía frío.
- It was cold that day.
Continuous actions that were going on when something else happened
- Comían cuando llegó su abuelo.
- They were eating when their grandad arrived.
- Mi madre cocinaba cuando salí de la casa.
- My mum was cooking when I left the house.
Age, Time
- Mi hermana tenía veintiún años.
- My sister was 21 years old.
- Eran las cinco de la tarde.
- It was five in the afternoon.
- Era el 12 de enero.
- It was the 12th of January.
Test yourself on Uses of the Imperfect
How do you say 'there was a lot of wind that day' in Spanish?
How do you say 'they were eating' in Spanish?