by In Spanish, the verbs “ser” and “estar” both translate as “to be” in English but are used in different contexts, including the past progressive tense. This tense expresses actions ongoing at a particular time in the past and is constructed using the past tense of “ser” or “estar” combined with the present participle (gerund) of the main verb.
Estar in the Past Progressive
“Estar” is the most common verb used in the past progressive tense. Here’s how it’s conjugated in the imperfect (past) tense:
| Subject Pronoun | Estar Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | estaba |
| Tú (You, informal) | estabas |
| Él/Ella/Usted (He/She/You, formal) | estaba |
| Nosotros/Nosotras (We) | estábamos |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes (They/You, plural) | estaban |
The present participle is created by removing the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, -ir) and adding -ando to -ar verbs and -iendo to -er and -ir verbs. For instance, “hablar” (to talk) becomes “hablando” (talking), and “comer” (to eat) turns into “comiendo” (eating).
Usage examples:
- Yo estaba hablando con María. (I was talking to María.)
- Ellos estaban comiendo en el restaurante. (They were eating at the restaurant.)
Ser in the Past Progressive
Though less common, “ser” can be used in the past progressive tense, often in literary contexts. Here’s its conjugation in the imperfect tense:
| Subject Pronoun | Ser Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | era |
| Tú (You, informal) | eras |
| Él/Ella/Usted (He/She/You, formal) | era |
| Nosotros/Nosotras (We) | éramos |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes (They/You, plural) | eran |
The present participle is used identically as with “estar”. “Ser” in the past progressive adds a nuance of inherent or identifying qualities in the action being described.
Usage examples:
- Tú eras comiendo la manzana muy despacio. (You were eating the apple very slowly.) – This might be used to express that the slow eating was characteristic of the person in the past.
- Nosotros éramos corriendo cada día. (We were running every day.) – This could suggest that running every day was an inherent part of our routine.
Please note that the use of “ser” in these contexts is quite rare and may sound strange to native speakers in everyday conversation. “Estar” is typically preferred in the past progressive.
Check out our series of Complete Spanish Grammar articles – everything you’ll ever need to know about Spanish grammar.
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