🌿When I Was Young

Cuando Yo Era Joven

A2 · Stage 1 · Week 3~60 minutes

After this lesson, you'll be able to:

✓Describe what life was like when you were a child
✓Talk about things you used to do regularly
✓Conjugate regular and irregular verbs in the imperfect

Grammar Focus

Essential grammar for this lesson with examples.

What Is the Imperfect Tense?

The imperfect (el imperfecto) is a past tense used to talk about things that used to happen, were happening, or to describe how things were. Unlike the preterite (which you learned for completed actions), the imperfect is for ongoing, repeated, or background situations in the past.

Think of it this way: the preterite is a photograph (a single moment), while the imperfect is a video (an ongoing scene).

The imperfect is used for:
- Habitual actions: things you used to do regularly
- Descriptions: what people, places, or things were like
- Background information: setting the scene in a story
- Age and time in the past: "I was 10 years old", "It was 3 o'clock"

Examples:

De niña, yo jugaba en el parque.As a child, I used to play in the park. (habitual action)

Mi abuela era muy simpatica.My grandmother was very nice. (description)

Hacia sol y los pájaros cantaban.It was sunny and the birds were singing. (background/scene)

Yo tenía diez años.I was ten years old. (age in the past)

Tip: In English, the imperfect often translates as "used to..." or "was/were ...ing". If you can say "used to" in English, you almost certainly need the imperfect in Spanish.

Regular -AR Verbs in the Imperfect

Great news - the imperfect is one of the easiest tenses to conjugate! For -AR verbs, remove the -ar ending and add these endings: -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban.

Notice that the yo and el/ella forms are identical. Context will always make it clear who you're talking about.

Also notice the accent on -ábamos (nosotros form) - it's the only form with an accent mark.

hablar (to speak) - Imperfect

Person	Singular	Plural
1st person	(yo) hablaba	(nosotros/as) hablábamos
2nd person	(tu) hablabas	(vosotros/as) hablabais
3rd person	(el/ella/Ud.) hablaba	(ellos/ellas/Uds.) hablaban

Examples:

De niño, yo jugaba al fútbol todos los días.As a child, I used to play football every day.

Mi mamá cocinaba muy bien.My mum used to cook very well.

Siempre hablábamos en español en casa.We always used to speak Spanish at home.

Tip: The yo and el/ella forms are always the same in the imperfect: hablaba, jugaba, cocinaba. You'll know who's being talked about from context.

Regular -ER/-IR Verbs in the Imperfect

-ER and -IR verbs share the same imperfect endings. Remove the -er or -ir and add: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían.

All of these endings have an accent on the í - this is important for pronunciation. And just like -AR verbs, the yo and él/ella forms are identical.

comer (to eat) & vivir (to live) - Imperfect

	comer	vivir
(yo)	comía	vivía
(tú)	comías	vivías
(él/ella/Ud.)	comía	vivía
(nosotros/as)	comíamos	vivíamos
(vosotros/as)	comíais	vivíais
(ellos/ellas/Uds.)	comían	vivían

Examples:

De pequeño, yo comía mucho chocolate.When I was little, I used to eat a lot of chocolate.

Vivíamos en una casa grande.We used to live in a big house.

Mi padre leía el periodico por la mañana.My father used to read the newspaper in the morning.

Tip: Remember: -ER and -IR verbs have the exact same imperfect endings. One less set of endings to memorise!

The Only 3 Irregular Verbs!

Here is the best thing about the imperfect tense - there are only three irregular verbs: ser (to be), ir (to go), and ver (to see). Every other verb in Spanish is regular in the imperfect. Compare that to the preterite, which has dozens of irregulars!

Let's look at each one:

The 3 Irregulars: ser, ir, ver

	ser (to be)	ir (to go)	ver (to see)
(yo)	era	iba	veía
(tu)	eras	ibas	veías
(el/ella/Ud.)	era	iba	veía
(nosotros/as)	éramos	íbamos	veíamos
(vosotros/as)	erais	ibais	veíais
(ellos/ellas/Uds.)	eran	iban	veían

Examples:

De niña, yo era muy timida.As a child, I was very shy.

Ibamos al colegio a las ocho.We used to go to school at eight.

Siempre veía dibujos animados por la tarde.I always used to watch cartoons in the afternoon.

Tip: Only 3 irregulars in the entire imperfect tense! Compare that to the preterite where ser AND ir share the same forms (fui, fuiste...). The imperfect is much friendlier.

Key Time Expressions for the Imperfect

Certain time expressions are strong signals that you need the imperfect tense. These words indicate habitual, repeated, or ongoing actions in the past. When you see or hear these expressions, think imperfect!

Imperfect Time Expressions

Spanish	English
de niño/a	as a child
de pequeño/a	when little
cuando era joven	when I was young
siempre	always
todos los días	every day
normalmente	normally
a menudo	often
en aquella época	in those days
antes	before / in the past

Examples:

De niño, jugaba en la calle.As a child, I used to play in the street.

Cuando era pequeño, vivía en Madrid.When I was little, I lived in Madrid.

Siempre comía en casa de mi abuela los domingos.I always used to eat at my grandmother's house on Sundays.

Todos los días íbamos al parque.Every day we used to go to the park.

Normalmente estudiaba por la tarde.I normally used to study in the afternoon.

A menudo visitábamos a nuestros primos.We often used to visit our cousins.

En aquella época, no había internet.In those days, there was no internet.

Tip: These expressions are your "imperfect clues". If you see todos los días, siempre, normalmente, or de niño/a, you almost certainly need the imperfect.

Imperfect for Descriptions

One of the most important uses of the imperfect is to describe how things were in the past. This includes describing people (appearance, personality), places, weather, emotions, and general states. A handful of verbs appear constantly in these descriptions:

- ser - what something/someone was like
- tener - what someone had (age, possessions, features)
- hacer - what the weather was like
- haber (había) - what there was/were
- estar - how someone felt or where something was

Examples:

Mi colegio era grande y moderno.My school was big and modern.

Mi profesora tenía el pelo largo.My teacher had long hair.

Siempre hacía calor en verano.It was always hot in summer.

Había un parque cerca de mi casa.There was a park near my house.

Yo estaba contenta en el colegio.I was happy at school.

Tip: When you tell a story, the imperfect sets the scene: "Era un dia bonito, hacía sol, los niños jugaban en el parque..." (It was a nice day, it was sunny, the children were playing in the park...)

Conversation Example

Ana and Pablo are having coffee and start reminiscing about their childhoods. Ana grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico, and Pablo grew up in Madrid, Spain.

Ana

Pablo, yo siempre pienso en mi infancia en Guadalajara. Era una época muy bonita.Pablo, I always think about my childhood in Guadalajara. It was a really beautiful time.

Pablo

Yo también. De niño, yo era muy travieso. Mi madre siempre decía: "Pablo, ven aquí ahora mismo."Me too. As a child, I was very naughty. My mother always used to say: "Pablo, come here right now."

Ana

Ja, ja! Yo era mas tranquila. Todos los días, después del colegio, iba al parque con mi hermano Diego.Ha ha! I was calmer. Every day, after school, I used to go to the park with my brother Diego.

Pablo

Qué bien! Yo jugaba al fútbol en el patio del colegio con mis compañeros.How nice! I used to play football in the school courtyard with my classmates.

Ana

Los fines de semana, íbamos a la casa de mi abuela. Ella cocinaba unas enchiladas increíbles.On weekends, we used to go to my grandmother's house. She used to cook incredible enchiladas.

Pablo

Mi abuela también cocinaba muy bien. Hacia una paella todos los domingos.My grandmother also used to cook very well. She used to make paella every Sunday.

Ana

Y por las tardes, yo veía dibujos animados con Sofia. Nos gustaban mucho.And in the afternoons, I used to watch cartoons with Sofia. We liked them a lot.

Pablo

Yo también veía dibujos animados. Y mi hermana Carmen siempre leía libros. Era muy estudiosa.I also used to watch cartoons. And my sister Carmen always read books. She was very studious.

Ana

Qué recuerdos! De niña, todo era mas simple, verdad?What memories! As a child, everything was simpler, right?

Pablo

Si, tienes razón. No había teléfonos móviles, no había redes sociales... Solo jugábamos y éramos felices.Yes, you're right. There were no mobile phones, no social media... We just played and were happy.

🌍 Childhood in the Spanish-Speaking World

Childhood experiences across the Spanish-speaking world share many common threads, even as they differ by region. In many countries, children grow up spending a great deal of time outdoors - playing in plazas, parks, and streets with neighborhood children. The concept of "jugar en la calle" (playing in the street) is a cherished memory for many adults, something that has become less common in bigger cities today. Family closeness is central to childhood across Latin America and Spain. Grandparents often live nearby or even in the same house, and weekend visits to "la casa de la abuela" (grandmother's house) are a beloved tradition. These gatherings revolve around food - whether it's paella in Spain, enchiladas in Mexico, or arepas in Colombia. School systems vary: in Spain, primary school is called "el colegio" and typically runs from ages 6 to 12, while "el instituto" covers secondary education. In many Latin American countries, "la escuela" is the more common term. The school day often includes a long midday break, and in some regións children go home for lunch with their families - a tradition connected to the broader culture of shared mealtimes.

Want to learn more?

📚The Imperfect Tense - Full Guide→