🌿How Things Used to Be

Antes y Ahora

A2 · Stage 1 · Week 4~60 minutes

After this lesson, you'll be able to:

✓Describe past habits and routines using the imperfect
✓Describe what people and places looked like in the past
✓Compare how things were then vs now (antes... ahora...)

Grammar Focus

Essential grammar for this lesson with examples.

Imperfect for Habitual Actions

In Week 3 you learned how to form the imperfect tense. Now let's focus on when to use it. The most common use is to talk about things that used to happen regularly in the past - habits, routines, and repeated actions.

Certain time expressions are strong clues that you need the imperfect. When you see todos los días (every day), siempre (always), normalmente (normally), a menudo (often), or cada semana (every week), the imperfect is almost always the right choice.

Think of it this way: if you can say "used to" or "would (habitually)" in English, use the imperfect in Spanish.

Imperfect Habit Triggers

Spanish	English
todos los días	every day
siempre	always
normalmente	normally
a menudo	often
generalmente	generally
cada semana / mes / año	every week / month / year
los lunes / los martes...	on Mondays / on Tuesdays...
por la mañana / tarde / noche	in the morning / afternoon / evening

Examples:

Todos los días caminaba al trabajo.Every day I used to walk to work.

Siempre desayunábamos juntos.We always used to have breakfast together.

Normalmente llegaba a las ocho.I normally used to arrive at eight.

Cada verano íbamos a la playa.Every summer we used to go to the beach.

A menudo visitaba a mis primos.I often used to visit my cousins.

Tip: If the action was a habit or routine in the past - something that happened again and again - you need the imperfect. These time expressions are your biggest clues!

Imperfect for Descriptions - People & Places

The imperfect is essential for describing what people, places, and things were like in the past. You're not talking about events that happened - you're painting a picture of how things were.

The most common verbs for descriptions in the imperfect are:
- ser - what someone/something was like (personality, identity, characteristics)
- tener - what someone had (age, physical features, possessions)
- estar - how someone felt or where something was located
- haber (había) - what there was / there were
- llevar - what someone was wearing
- parecer - what something seemed like

Examples:

Mi abuela era una mujer muy generosa.My grandmother was a very generous woman.

La casa tenía un jardín enorme con flores.The house had an enormous garden with flowers.

El pueblo era pequeño y tranquilo.The town was small and quiet.

Mi abuelo llevaba siempre un sombrero.My grandfather always wore a hat.

Había una fuente en la plaza del pueblo.There was a fountain in the town square.

Tip: When you describe a scene, a person, or a place in the past, think of it as a painting, not an action. Paintings don't move - they show what things were like. That's the imperfect.

Imperfect for Weather & Time

When you describe what the weather was like or what time it was in the past, you always use the imperfect. These are descriptions of background conditions, not events.

Weather uses hacer in the imperfect:
- hacía calor - it was hot
- hacía frío - it was cold
- hacía sol - it was sunny
- hacía viento - it was windy

For rain and snow, use llover and nevar:
- llovía - it was raining
- nevaba - it was snowing

For time, use ser in the imperfect:
- era la una - it was one o'clock
- eran las tres - it was three o'clock

Weather in the Imperfect

Spanish	English
hacía calor	it was hot
hacía frío	it was cold
hacía sol	it was sunny
hacía viento	it was windy
hacía buen/mal tiempo	the weather was good/bad
llovía	it was raining
nevaba	it was snowing
estaba nublado	it was cloudy

Examples:

Hacía mucho calor en verano.It was very hot in summer.

Siempre llovía en noviembre.It always rained in November.

Eran las tres de la tarde.It was three in the afternoon.

Hacía un día precioso.It was a beautiful day.

Era medianoche y nevaba.It was midnight and it was snowing.

Tip: Notice that for time, you use "era" for 1 o'clock (singular) but "eran" for all other hours (plural): era la una, eran las dos, eran las cinco.

Imperfect for Age & Feelings

To talk about how old someone was in the past, use tener in the imperfect. To talk about how someone felt, use estar in the imperfect.

Remember:
- tener + años = age (not ser!)
- estar + adjective = temporary state / feeling
- sentirse = to feel (reflexive, also common for emotions)

Examples:

Yo tenía diez años cuando nos mudamos.I was ten years old when we moved.

Mi hermana tenía cinco años.My sister was five years old.

Estaba muy contento en aquel pueblo.I was very happy in that town.

Mis padres estaban orgullosos.My parents were proud.

Siempre tenía hambre después del colegio.I was always hungry after school.

Tip: Remember the "tener expressions" from A1: tener hambre (hungry), tener sed (thirsty), tener sueño (sleepy), tener miedo (afraid). In the past, all these use tenía: "Siempre tenía sueño por la mañana."

Antes vs Ahora - Comparing Past and Present

A very useful pattern is comparing how things used to be (antes - before/in the past) with how they are now (ahora - now). This lets you show the contrast between past habits or descriptions and the present reality.

The structure is simple:
- Antes + imperfect ... ahora + present
- Antes + imperfect ... hoy en dia + present

This pattern works beautifully with descriptions of places, routines, and lifestyle changes.

Past vs Present Expressions

Spanish	English
antes	before / in the past
en aquella época	in those days / at that time
en los años 90 / 80...	in the 90s / 80s...
cuando era joven	when I was young
ahora	now
hoy en dia	nowadays
actualmente	currently
ya no	no longer / not anymore

Examples:

Antes vivíamos en el campo. Ahora vivimos en la ciudad.Before, we used to live in the countryside. Now we live in the city.

Antes no había internet. Ahora todo el mundo está conectado.Before, there was no internet. Now everyone is connected.

Antes la gente caminaba más. Hoy en día todos van en coche.Before, people used to walk more. Nowadays everyone goes by car.

Antes el barrio era tranquilo. Ahora es muy ruidoso.Before, the neighborhood was quiet. Now it's very noisy.

Antes cocinábamos en casa. Ahora pedimos comida a domicilio.Before, we used to cook at home. Now we order delivery food.

Tip: The "antes... ahora..." pattern is incredibly useful in conversation. It's a natural way to talk about changes over time - in your life, your city, or the world.

Putting It All Together - Setting the Scene

When you want to describe a complete scene from the past - a place, the people, the atmosphere - you combine all the uses of the imperfect you've learned:

1. Descriptions (ser, tener, haber) - what things were like
2. Weather/time (hacer, ser) - the conditions
3. Habitual actions - what people used to do
4. Age/feelings (tener, estar) - how people felt

This is like painting a picture with words. Everything is in the imperfect because you're describing a scene, not narrating events.

Examples:

Era un pueblo pequeño. Había una iglesia y una plaza.It was a small town. There was a church and a square.

Los vecinos se conocían y se ayudaban.The neighbors knew each other and helped each other.

Hacía calor, eran las cinco y los niños jugaban en la calle.It was hot, it was five o'clock, and the children were playing in the street.

Mi abuela tenía setenta años pero estaba llena de energía.My grandmother was seventy but she was full of energy.

Tip: When you tell a story, the imperfect paints the background: "Era de noche. Llovía. Yo estaba solo en casa..." Next week you'll learn how the preterite enters the scene with specific events!

Conversation Example

Ana and Pablo are looking at old photos and comparing how their cities used to be with how they are now. Ana talks about how Guadalajara has changed, and Pablo shares memories of old Madrid.

Pablo

Mira esta foto, Ana. Es del centro de Madrid en los años 90. Era muy diferente.Look at this photo, Ana. It's from central Madrid in the 90s. It was very different.

Ana

¡Qué interesante! ¿Cómo era Madrid antes?How interesting! What was Madrid like before?

Pablo

El barrio donde vivíamos era muy tranquilo. Había tiendas pequeñas y todos los vecinos se conocían.The neighborhood where we lived was very quiet. There were small shops and all the neighbors knew each other.

Ana

En Guadalajara pasaba lo mismo. Antes no había tantos coches. La gente caminaba o iba en autobús.In Guadalajara it was the same. Before, there weren't so many cars. People walked or took the bus.

Pablo

¡Sí! Y los domingos, mi familia siempre paseaba por el Parque del Retiro. Hacía sol y mi padre compraba helados.Yes! And on Sundays, my family always used to stroll through Retiro Park. It was sunny and my father used to buy ice cream.

Ana

¡Qué bonito! Nosotros íbamos al mercado de San Juan de Dios. Mi mamá compraba fruta fresca y mi abuela hacía agua de Jamaica.How lovely! We used to go to the San Juan de Dios market. My mum bought fresh fruit and my grandmother made Jamaica water.

Pablo

Ahora todo es diferente. Antes había mercados pequeños. Ahora hay grandes supermercados por todas partes.Now everything is different. Before, there were small markets. Now there are big supermarkets everywhere.

Ana

Es verdad. Antes la gente charlaba en la plaza por la tarde. Ahora todos miran el teléfono.That's true. Before, people used to chat in the square in the afternoon. Now everyone looks at their phone.

Pablo

Pero también hay cosas buenas. Antes no había metro en muchas zonas. Ahora es más fácil moverse por la ciudad.But there are good things too. Before, there was no metro in many areas. Now it's easier to get around the city.

Ana

Sí, tienes razón. Guadalajara ahora tiene un tren ligero que antes no existía. Las ciudades cambian, pero los recuerdos son para siempre.Yes, you're right. Guadalajara now has a light rail that didn't exist before. Cities change, but memories are forever.

Pablo

Totalmente de acuerdo. Antes era diferente, pero ahora también tiene cosas bonitas.Totally agree. Before it was different, but now also has beautiful things.

🌍 Changing Cities - Modernization vs Tradition

Across the Spanish-speaking world, cities and towns have changed dramatically in recent decades. In Spain, rapid modernization since the 1980s transformed many areas - old markets became shopping centers, narrow streets were widened for traffic, and traditional neighborhood shops were replaced by chain stores. Many Spaniards have strong memories of a more community-focused way of life. In Mexico, cities like Guadalajara and Mexico City have seen enormous growth. Traditional mercados (markets) still exist alongside modern supermarkets, and many families make a point of visiting them for fresh produce, keeping old habits alive. The concept of "la plaza" - the central square where people gather to socialize - remains important in smaller towns, even as bigger cities modernize. In Colombia, cities like Bogota and Medellin have undergone remarkable transformations, adding metro systems, parks, and public libraries. Yet neighborhoods often preserve their character - small tiendas de barrio (corner shops) coexist with modern stores. This tension between "lo antiguo" (the old) and "lo moderno" (the modern) is a common topic of conversation. Older generations often say "antes era mejor" (it was better before), while younger people appreciate modern conveniences. The reality is that both perspectives have value - modernization brings comfort and opportunity, but traditional community ties and customs are worth preserving too.

Want to learn more?

📚The Imperfect Tense - Full Guide→📚Adverbs of Frequency & Quantity→