The Free Multi-Language Online Dictionary From Ultralingua

Imperfect indicative

Formation

The formation of the imperfect indicative tense is as follows:

Infinitive --> Stem + Endings*
Hablar --> Habl-

-aba
-ábamos
-abas
-abais
-aba
-aban

Comer --> Com-

-ía
-íamos
-ías
-íais
-ía
-ían

Vivir --> Viv-

-ía
-íamos
-ías
-íais
-ía
-ían

*Note that the -er and -ir endings are identical.

Uses

Description of past conditions
Habitual or repeated past actions
Contextual activity with interruption
Mental or emotional states
Past progressive
Telling time in the past

The imperfect is the descriptive past, while the preterite is the narrative past. It is sometimes difficult to discern "descriptive" from "narrative," so in order to use these tenses correctly it is helpful to study carefully the speaker's primary intent. The following are the main uses of the imperfect indicative tense.

1. The description of past conditions, with the emphasis on how things were rather than on what happened.

Siempre era difícil llegar a tiempo. (It was always hard to arrive on time.)
Hacía calor ayer. (It was warm yesterday.)

2. To describe habitual or repeated past actions. (Note that whenever "would" means "used to" when describing habitual or repeated past actions, one should always use the imperfect and not the conditional tense.)

Íbamos a la playa todos los veranos. (We would go to the beach every summer.)
Yo leía en la cama. (I used to read in bed.)
Siempre me gustaba tomar café después de almorzar. (I always liked to drink coffee after lunch.)

3. To describe something that was happening when something else occurred.

Yo comía cuando alguien llamó a la puerta. (I was eating when someone knocked on the door.)
Susana leía su libro cuando su hermano la interrumpió. (Susana was reading her book when her brother interrupted.)

4. To describe past mental or emotional states in the past.

Me gustaba pasear por el parque. (I liked strolling through the park.)
Ellos estaban muy alegres. (They were very happy.)

5. To form the past progressive with estar and the past participle.

¿Qué estabas haciendo allí? (What were you doing there?)
Yo estaba cenando. (I was eating dinner.)

6. To tell time in the past.

Era la una. (It was one o'clock.)
Eran las dos y media. (It was two-thirty.)

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