Regular -ar Verbs in Spanish Past Progressive Tense

Regular -AR verbs, the most common type of verbs in Spanish, follow a simple and consistent pattern in the past progressive tense.

Forming the Gerund of Regular -AR Verbs

To create the gerund (the -ing form in English), remove the “-ar” ending from the infinitive and add “-ando.”

  • Example: Caminar (to walk) → Caminando (walking)
  • Example: Bailar (to dance) → Bailando (dancing)
  • Example: Cantar (to sing) → Cantando (singing)

Constructing the Past Progressive Tense

Combine the gerund with the imperfect tense of the verb “estar” (to be) to form the past progressive tense:

PronounEstar (Imperfect)Gerund (Example: Caminar)Past Progressive
Yoestabacaminandoestaba caminando
estabascaminandoestabas caminando
Él/Ella/Ustedestabacaminandoestaba caminando
Nosotros/Nosotrasestábamoscaminandoestábamos caminando
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedesestabancaminandoestaban caminando

Examples:

  • “Yo estaba trabajando en el proyecto.” (I was working on the project.)
  • “Ella estaba escuchando música.” (She was listening to music.)
  • “Nosotros estábamos jugando al fútbol.” (We were playing soccer.)

Synonyms

  • English: Regular -AR Past Progressive Verbs
  • Spanish: Verbos Regulares en -AR en Pretérito Imperfecto Progresivo

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