In this Spanish grammar lesson you will learn about when to use the imperfect.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- when to use the imperfect in Spanish
- how the imperfect is used in sentences in Spanish
- how you can quiz yourself on when to use the imperfect
- how you can practice with flashcards on when to use the imperfect
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn Spanish
By the end of the lesson you will know all about when to use the imperfect!
Table of Contents
When to Use the Imperfect
You will use the imperfect tense to express habits or repeated actions in the past, as well as to describe a situation, setting or scenery in the past.
Here are examples where habits and repeated actions in the past are expressed:
soler
María solía visitarme todas las tardes.
Maria used to visit me every afternoon.
volver
Siempre que volvía a verle, sentía escalofríos.
Whenever I saw him again, I always felt shivers.
soler
Tú solías pintar mucho cuando eras pequeña.
You used to paint a lot when you were little.
comer
Vosotros comíais demasiado cuando hacíamos paella.
You ate too much when we made paella.
trabajar
Nosotros trabajábamos sin descanso toda la semana.
We worked non-stop all week.
caminar
Ellos caminaban todas las mañanas diez kilómetros.
They walked ten kilometres every morning.
All of these are habits or repeated actions in the past.
Here are examples where a situation, setting or scenery in the past has been described:
haber
En mi ciudad había muchos cines, pero han cerrado casi todos.
In my city there were many cinemas, but almost all of them have closed.
tener
Mis padres tenían muchos perros cuando yo era pequeña.
My parents had a lot of dogs when I was little.
hacer
Recuerdo que en Bilbao siempre hacía mal tiempo.
I remember that the weather was always bad in Bilbao.
ser
Toda esta llanura era antes un bosque frondoso.
All this plain was once a lush forest.
tener
María tenía unas piernas muy bonitas.
Maria had beautiful legs.
jugar
Siempre jugábamos a las cartas después de comer.
We always played cards after lunch.
ser
Todavía era de noche cuando me desperté.
It was still dark when I woke up.
estar
Sonia estaba muy contenta en el trabajo.
Sonia was very happy at work.
These are all examples of instances where a situation, setting, or scenery has been described.
Generally you will talk about:
- who was with
- one’s age
- one’s qualities
- the time
- the weather
- a situation
- a setting
- a scenery
Example Sentences on When to Use the Imperfect
This section of the lesson on when to use the imperfect is about seeing it used in sentences.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding of when to use the imperfect through examples.
soler
María solía visitarme todas las tardes.
Maria used to visit me every afternoon.
volver
Siempre que volvía a verle, sentía escalofríos.
Whenever I saw him again, I always felt shivers.
soler
Tú solías pintar mucho cuando eras pequeña.
You used to paint a lot when you were little.
comer
Vosotros comíais demasiado cuando hacíamos paella.
You ate too much when we made paella.
trabajar
Nosotros trabajábamos sin descanso toda la semana.
We worked non-stop all week.
caminar
Ellos caminaban todas las mañanas diez kilómetros.
They walked ten kilometres every morning.
haber
En mi ciudad había muchos cines, pero han cerrado casi todos.
In my city there were many cinemas, but almost all of them have closed.
tener
Mis padres tenían muchos perros cuando yo era pequeña.
My parents had a lot of dogs when I was little.
hacer
Recuerdo que en Bilbao siempre hacía mal tiempo.
I remember that the weather was always bad in Bilbao.
ser
Toda esta llanura era antes un bosque frondoso.
All this plain was once a lush forest.
tener
María tenía unas piernas muy bonitas.
Maria had beautiful legs.
jugar
Siempre jugábamos a las cartas después de comer.
We always played cards after lunch.
ser
Todavía era de noche cuando me desperté.
It was still dark when I woke up.
estar
Sonia estaba muy contenta en el trabajo.
Sonia was very happy at work.
Quiz Yourself on When to use the Imperfect
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want!
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our Spanish A2 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,568 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for Spanish A2.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
Have you ever wondered what the best way is to learn a new language?
I have been learning languages for over 20+ years and I was always frustrated with books, courses, and classes that I had tried.
It never really seemed to work for me.
I wanted to learn a language in the most effective and efficient way, and there was nothing out there for me.
So I thought, “why not make something myself?“.
Using my experience and by doing research I created Language Atlas, a platform where people can learn French and Spanish in the most effective and efficient way.
I created free lessons and quizzes so that there would always be an easy and accessible way for people to learn or brush up on their language skills.
However, I also created courses that are much more comprehensive and in-depth.
These courses are easy to follow, clear, and allow you to become fluent in the most effective and efficient way.
The courses of Language Atlas have:
- 800+ Lessons with audio
- 800+ Quizzes
- 10,000 Flashcards with explanations, images, and audio
- A gamified way of learning a new language
- A vibrant community (including support from me)
You can register for free and try the French A0/A1 and Spanish A0/A1 Courses for free!
This includes over 60 lessons and quizzes, 500 flashcards that adapt to how you learn, and access to the community (including support from me).
All you have to do is study 30 minutes a day and you will be fluent in no time!
Don’t miss out – register for free and start learning!
