¡Hola! You've learned the regular conjugations for the Imperfect tense. The great news is that there are very few truly irregular verbs in the Imperfect! In this chapter, we'll focus on the three main ones: ser (to be), ir (to go), and ver (to see). Mastering these will complete your toolkit for regular and common irregular Imperfect conjugations.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
While most verbs follow a very predictable pattern in the Imperfect (-aba for -AR, -ía for -ER/-IR), these three essential verbs have unique forms you'll need to memorize. Fortunately, there are only three of them!
(Optional Review): How do you say "I used to speak" (imperfect of hablar)? (Hablaba). How do you say "They used to eat" (imperfect of comer)? (Comían). This will help you see how different the irregulars are.
There are only three common verbs that are irregular in the Imperfect tense: ser (to be), ir (to go), and ver (to see).
"Ser" is used for descriptions, characteristics, origin, time, etc., in the past when these are viewed as ongoing or background information.
| Pronoun | Ser (Imperfect) |
|---|---|
| yo | era |
| tú | eras |
| él/ella/usted | era |
| nosotros/as | éramos |
| vosotros/as | erais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | eran |
"Ir" in the Imperfect describes habitual or ongoing movement in the past, or where someone "used to go" or "was going."
| Pronoun | Ir (Imperfect) |
|---|---|
| yo | iba |
| tú | ibas |
| él/ella/usted | iba |
| nosotros/as | íbamos |
| vosotros/as | ibais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | iban |
"Ver" in the Imperfect describes habitually seeing/watching or what someone was seeing/watching in the past.
| Pronoun | Ver (Imperfect) |
|---|---|
| yo | veía |
| tú | veías |
| él/ella/usted | veía |
| nosotros/as | veíamos |
| vosotros/as | veíais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | veían |
That's it for common irregulars in the Imperfect! All other verbs you've learned (that are regular in the present tense) will follow the regular -aba or -ía patterns in the Imperfect.
Master the irregular Imperfect verbs: ser, ir, ver.
Import Chapter 30 Flashcards(Requires login to import/study)
Instructions: For each imperfect form, identify if it comes from SER, IR, or VER.
Answer Key:
Instructions: Match the pronoun with the correct imperfect form.
yo (ser) ( ) ibas
tú (ir) ( ) era
él (ver) ( ) íbamos
nosotros (ir) ( ) veíais
vosotros (ver) ( ) veíaAnswer Key:
yo (ser) → era
tú (ir) → ibas
él (ver) → veía
nosotros (ir) → íbamos
vosotros (ver) → veíaisInstructions: Write the correct imperfect form of the verb in parentheses.
Answer Key:
Instructions: Write three original sentences in Spanish describing how things used to be, or what people used to do, using ser, ir, or ver in the Imperfect.
(Answers will vary. Example: Mi pueblo era muy pequeño. Íbamos a la escuela en autobús.)
Instructions: In pairs, talk about how things were different in the past (e.g., when your parents or grandparents were young, or even 10 years ago). Use ser, ir, and ver in the Imperfect.
Example Starters:
Describing past routines, states of being, and how things "used to be" is a rich part of cultural storytelling. These irregular imperfect verbs (ser, ir, ver) are fundamental for setting the scene in any narrative about the past, whether it's a personal anecdote, a historical account, or a traditional folk tale.
The best news about the Imperfect tense is its regularity. Unlike the Preterite which has many irregular verbs and stem changes, the Imperfect only has these three commonly used irregular verbs: ser, ir, and ver.
All other verbs you encounter will follow the standard -aba (for -AR verbs) or -ía (for -ER and -IR verbs) conjugation patterns in the Imperfect. This makes the Imperfect generally easier to conjugate once you know the patterns and these three exceptions.
We will dedicate a future chapter to contrasting these two past tenses in detail, but it's good to start thinking about it now.
The choice often depends on how the speaker views the past action or state – as a completed event or as background/ongoing/habitual.
Let's read about childhood memories using these irregular verbs.
Cuando yo era niño, la vida era diferente. Mi familia y yo vivíamos (regular) en una casa pequeña.
Todos los días, mis hermanos y yo íbamos al parque. Allí, nosotros jugábamos (regular) y corríamos (regular). A veces, veíamos a nuestros amigos.
Mi abuelo siempre nos contaba historias. Él era muy sabio. Nosotros lo escuchábamos (regular) con atención.
Por las noches, mi madre nos leía (regular) cuentos antes de dormir. No veíamos mucha televisión en esos días. La vida era más simple.
When I was a child, life was different. My family and I used to live in a small house.
Every day, my siblings and I used to go to the park. There, we used to play and run. Sometimes, we used to see our friends.
My grandfather always used to tell us stories. He was very wise. We used to listen to him attentively.
At night, my mother used to read us stories before sleeping. We didn't use to watch much television in those days. Life was simpler.
Ser: era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran.
Ir: iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban.
Ver: veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían.
Recognition and conjugation of the three main irregular verbs in the Imperfect tense. Usage of Imperfect for past descriptions, habits, and ongoing states.
¡Excelente! You've now covered both regular and the main irregular verbs in the Imperfect tense. This is a huge step. In the next chapter, we will begin to formally contrast the Preterite and Imperfect tenses, helping you understand when to use each one to accurately describe different types of past actions and situations. This is a very important distinction in Spanish!