Regular verbs in the Spanish past progressive tense adhere to a straightforward pattern when forming the gerund, the key component to describing actions in progress in the past.
Forming the Gerund of Regular Verbs
- -AR verbs: Remove the “-ar” ending from the infinitive and add “-ando.”
- Example: Hablar (to speak) → Hablando (speaking)
- -ER and -IR verbs: Remove the “-er” or “-ir” ending from the infinitive and add “-iendo.”
- Example: Comer (to eat) → Comiendo (eating)
- Example: Vivir (to live) → Viviendo (living)
Constructing the Past Progressive Tense
Once you’ve formed the gerund, combine it with the imperfect tense of the verb “estar” (to be) to create the past progressive tense:
| Pronoun | Estar (Imperfect) | Gerund (Example: Hablar) | Past Progressive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | estaba | hablando | estaba hablando |
| Tú | estabas | hablando | estabas hablando |
| Él/Ella/Usted | estaba | hablando | estaba hablando |
| Nosotros/Nosotras | estábamos | hablando | estábamos hablando |
| Vosotros/Vosotras | estabais | hablando | estabais hablando |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | estaban | hablando | estaban hablando |
Examples:
- “Yo estaba caminando por el parque.” (I was walking through the park.)
- “Tú estabas estudiando para el examen.” (You were studying for the exam.)
- “Ellos estaban bailando en la fiesta.” (They were dancing at the party.)
Synonyms
- English: Regular Past Progressive Verbs
- Spanish: Verbos Regulares en Pretérito Imperfecto Progresivo