Regular -ar Verbs in Spanish Imperfect Tense

The Spanish imperfect tense is your key to describing actions that were ongoing or habitual in the past. Regular -AR verbs, with their consistent conjugation pattern, are a great starting point for mastering this tense. Let’s dive in!

The Simple Conjugation Pattern

Conjugating regular -AR verbs in the imperfect tense is a breeze. Just follow these two easy steps:

1. Drop the -ar: Remove the -ar ending from the infinitive form of the verb (e.g., hablar becomes habl).
2. Add the imperfect ending: Attach the appropriate ending based on the subject pronoun:

Pro Tip: Remember the accent on the first ‘a’ in the nosotros/as ending (hablábamos).

Common -AR Verbs You’ll Encounter

To get you started, here are some of the most common -AR verbs you’ll use in the imperfect tense:

• hablar (to speak)
• trabajar (to work)
• estudiar (to study)
• cantar (to sing)
• bailar (to dance)
• mirar (to look at)
• escuchar (to listen)
• caminar (to walk)
• cocinar (to cook)
• preparar (to prepare)

Examples in Action

Now that you know the pattern and some common verbs, let’s see them in action:

• “Yo trabajaba en una oficina cuando era joven.” (I used to work in an office when I was young.)
• “Ellos cantaban en el coro todos los domingos.” (They used to sing in the choir every Sunday.)
• “Nosotros estudiábamos español cada tarde después de clase.” (We used to study Spanish every afternoon after class.)
• “¿Tú cocinabas mucho antes de mudarte?” (Did you use to cook a lot before moving?)
• “Los niños jugaban en el parque mientras sus padres hablaban.” (The children were playing in the park while their parents were talking.)

Synonyms:

• English: Reguar -ar verbs in Past Continuous, Imperfect Progressive, Imperfect Continuous
• Spanish: Verbos Regulares en -AR en Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, Pretérito Progresivo, Pasado Progresivo, Pretérito Continuo