Essential Spanish Grammar - The Imperfect Tense

1. Introduction to the course: All our EVM vanitas. Hello, and welcome to Essential Spanish grammar, the imperfect tense. The essential Spanish grammar series is a series of courses that teach pure grammar in its simplest way. I tackle one grammar point in each course and focus on the essentials and nothing else. In this simple grammar guide, you will learn all about the imperfect tense in Spanish. I've stripped the tenths down into its essentials. So you don't need any prerequisites in order to benefit from this course. All the verbs we use are explained throughout. So you can simply focus on learning the grammar. We're going to be looking at what the imperfect tense is and how to form it in Spanish will also have a look at how to turn this tense negative. And we'll learn some common irregular verbs in this tense. You will have plenty of opportunity to practice what you've learned with lots of exercise for you to do. So, let's begin. 2. What is the imperfect tense?: I was in. What is the imperfect tense? The imperfect tense in English is that was intense. Once you put the word was or the word, we're in front of any verb and ing on the end, you get the imperfect tense. I was eating, you were going, they were leaving. He was buying, she was staying. Those were all examples of the imperfect tense in English. The imperfect tense in Spanish, however, is a little different, mainly because you don't use the word was and you don't use the ending. As I said, the imperfect tense in English is formed by putting the word was or were in front of any verb and the word ink on the end. But I also said that you use neither of these in Spanish. Well, in Spanish, the imperfect tense is formed by adding some letters to the end of the verb. To begin with, it's important to know what a verb is. In English, the verb is any words you can put two in front of, to eat, to drink, to speak, stay too, right? They're all examples of verbs. You can replace the word two with I was put in on the end and you get the imperfect tense in English. So to eat becomes I was eating, to drink. I was drinking to speak. I was speaking to stay. I was staying too, right? I was writing. In Spanish. Verbs can end in either the letters AR, ER, or IR. For example, means to speak. Common sad means to start. Yea, God means to arrive. So those three verbs all end in the letters. A. Calm air means to eat. Ben there means to sell, by their means to drink. So those three verbs all end in the letters E-R. Here means to choose. Average here means to open, and eschaton means to write. Those three verbs, all end in letters IR. So you have AR verbs, ER verbs, and ir verbs in Spanish. 3. AR verbs in Spanish: We've just seen some examples of AR, ER, and ir verbs in Spanish. We had our Blur and Yeager as three examples of AR verbs. Go Mayor, ben there, and our ER verbs, and Ella here, and SQL DB or IR verbs. Now in Spanish, there are two different ways that you can say I was in, but it depends on what the letters of the original verb ends in. So you can split the verbs in Spanish into two groups, AR verbs and non AR verbs. Let's start by looking at verbs that end in AR. Ar verbs. You can say I was in with AR verbs in Spanish, by removing the last two letters. I'm putting a, b, a on the end instead. For example, the verb hablar means to speak. If you change the AR to ABA, you get AB lava. Lava means I was speaking of lava. This works for any AR verb in Spanish. For example, means to buy. If we change the AR to ABA, we get comparable. Comparable means I was buying a spade are means to wait. Sp, SP rubor means I was waiting. So let's do a little exercise. Here are five AR verbs in Spanish. That means to give. Yoga, means to arrive. Facade means to spend time. K, that means to stay. And EMR means to carry. What I'd like you to do is pause the video, see if you can put these verbs into the I was in form, and then press play to see if you got them right. So that means to give them baba. Baba means I was giving yoga, means to arrive. Yeah, gaba. Gaba means I was arriving. Bizarre means to spend time. If we change the AR on the end to ABA, we get by Sabah. But Sabah means I was spending time. J. That means to stay. Gave Alba. Alba means I was staying. Yeah. Bar means to carry and Nevada. You have other means. I was carrying. 4. Practising with AR verbs: Let's do a little more practice with AR verbs. Here are five more verbs. Meet our means to look at. Yammer, means to call. Tomar. Means to take. Comments are means to start. Bilateral, means to dance. So pause the video, have a go at putting these verbs into the, I was informed and then press play to see if you got them right. So me that means to look at me. Rabaa, Mirada means I was looking at Yammer, means to call Yamada. Yamada means I was calling. Tomar, means to take Bamaga dome. Alba means I was taking. Comments are means to start. Common. Sabah. Sabah means I was starting. And bilateral means to dance. If we change the AR to ABA, we get bilabial. Bilabial means I was dancing. The verb muscarinic means to look for. So how would you say in Spanish, I was looking for most gaba, boost gaba. Pen sad means to think. How would you say I was thinking Ben Sabah, pen server means to work. How would you say I was working? Hubba. Hubba, hubba. Gambia means to change. So how would you say in Spanish, I was changing? Can be Abba. Can be Abba. Iu. That means to help. How would you say I was helping? Are you data? Iu data? The variable consider ad means to consider. How would you say in Spanish? I was considering consider ABA consider Rafa. 5. Using a cue card: The verb means to explain. How would you say in Spanish, I was explaining XB gaba. Gaba. The verb pregnant. Pregnant means to ask, how would you say in Spanish? I was asking pregnant, Java. But Java. Now we're learning quite a lot of verbs in this section. So what I recommend you do is write them all down on a cue card if you don't know them already, what you can do is put the Spanish down one side of the cue card and then put the English on the other side of the cue card. Let's just have a quick go through the verbs that we've looked at so far. We've had that meaning to give Yoga, meaning to arrive, bizarre, to spend time, to stay. You have to carry. Meet our meeting to look at Yammer, to call tomar, meaning to take. Comments are to start. Bilabial, meaning to dance. Muscarinic, meaning to look for. Pencil. Meaning to think about. Meaning to work can be meaning to change. Meaning to help. Considered add, meaning to consider. Explicit meaning to explain. And pregnant. Meaning to ask. Once you have your cue cards, what you can do to practice the verbs is look at the English side and try and remember what the Spanish words where. Do this every now and again, and try not to do it in the same order each time. So pick verbs at random, and that way it will help you to get the words to stay in your long-term memory. The verb S do the add means to study. How would you say in Spanish, I was studying? Is to the abba. Abba. The verb means to use. How would you say I was using in Spanish? Sabah. Sabah. 6. ER and IR verbs in Spanish: We've just seen that if a Spanish verb ends in the letters AR, all you have to do to make I was Inc. is removed the AR and replace it with a BA. But what about if the verb doesn't end in AR? Er, and ir verbs? You can say I was in with ER and IR verbs in Spanish, by removing the last two letters, I'm putting the letters i, ae with an accent on the eye on the end instead. For example, the verb means to eat. Well, if you change the ER to IA with an accent on the eye, you get Colombia. Colombia, which means I was eating. The verb, means to leave. If you change the IR to an IRA, you get cilia. Cilia, which means I was leaving this year. This year. Means to say, if we change the IR to an IA, we get the CIA. Cia. And that means I was saying bear, bear means to drink. If we change the ER to an IA, we get baby, yeah, maybe Yeah, Which means I was drinking. Here are five, ER and IR verbs. Means to run. Bb. Bb means to live up in there, up in their means to learn. Every year. Every year. Means to open and layer. Layer means to read. What I'd like you to do is pause the video, have a go at changing these verbs into the II was intense, and then press play to see if you got it right. Means to run chorea. Chorea means I was running. Bbr, means to live. Bb. Bb means I was living up in their brain. Their means to learn upper India. Upland Dia means I was learning. Brrr. Brrr means to open our Bria. Iberia means I was opening. And layer means to read. Layer. Layer means I was reading. So all we have to do is change the ER or the IR to a with an accent on the eye and you get the verb, meaning, I was inking. 7. Practising with ER and IR verbs: Here are five more IR and E-R verbs in Spanish. Means to write. Men, there means to sell. This screen here means to describe as the steer, means to attend. And suffering here means to suffer. What I'd like you to do is pause the video. Have a go at putting these verbs into the imperfect tense in Spanish, meaning the I was in tenths, and then press play to see if you've got them right. So S becomes SQL DB or SQL DB, which means I was writing when they're meaning to sell, becomes Ben dia. Then DHEA, which means I was selling. This group here means to describe. And in the imperfect tense that becomes desk Libya. Libya, which means I was describing. I see steer means to attend as is Dia, as his Dia means I was attending. And superior means to suffer. And then the imperfect tense, do you get superior? Superior, which means I was suffering. The verb, Ella here means to choose. So how would you say in Spanish, I was choosing Ella here. Ella here. The verb means to go up. So how would you say in Spanish, I was going up Serbia. Serbia means to cough. So how would you say in Spanish, I was coughing. Dossier, Bosnia. The verb menu here means to come. How will you say in Spanish, I was coming? Mania. Mania means to do so. How would you say in Spanish, I was doing a CIA. Cia. Then air means to have. So how would you say in Spanish, I was having tinea denier on air means to put how would you say I was putting cornea. Cornea sent Dear means to feel. How would you say I was feeling? Cynthia. Cynthia dormir means to sleep. How would you say I was sleeping? Daughter Mia. Mia. Condusive means to drive. So how would you say I was driving? Gone do Sia? Sia. 8. "You were -ing": You were in we know how to say I was in in Spanish. But what about if you want to say you were in or he was in all she was ink. Well, for I was in you remove the last two letters and add a, b, a to the end of AR verbs, and a on the end of ir verbs. The endings for the ER and IR verbs in the imperfect tense in Spanish are actually the same as the endings for the conditional tense. In the conditional tense, we added the endings to the whole verb. In the imperfect tense, you remove the last two letters first. So if you want to say I was in, you add IJ with an accent on the I to the end of the verb, which you've removed the last two letters. If you want to say you were in, you add IAS with an accent on the eye. He was in. She was in, and you were in a while, you add IA again with an accent on the eye on the end of the verb. Once you've removed the last two letters. If you want to say we were in, you remove the last two letters and add a MOS with an accent on the eye. Emos. If you want to say you were ink, again, you remove the last two letters and you add HIS with an accent on the first i. If you want to say they were in, you add n with an accent on the eye. If you want to say you were in, you add IN again with an accent on the eye. So those are the endings for the imperfect tense with ER and IR verbs. Just remember, before you add any of these endings, you have to remove the last two letters from the end of the verb first. For example, if you want to say, you were saying you say they see us, they see us. Or he was saying, you say the CIA. The CIA. And you can add subject pronouns to the start of the verb if you wish. If it's not clear as to whom you're speaking about. To, the CS means you were saying and the CIA means he was saying with two, it's not so necessary, but with the L the word deci out without l can mean he was saying she was saying or you were saying. So the L just clarifies it. You can change the L to Asia. And that means she was saying Alia, the CIA. Or you could change it to the CIA means you were saying. 9. AR verbs - full conjugation: Let's now have a look at the endings for AR verbs in the imperfect tense. If you want to say I was in, you remove the AR from the end of the verb and you add ABA. Aba. If you want to say you were in, you remove the AR and you add AB AB us. For he was in, she was in. And you were in, you remove the AR and you add a BA. If you want to say we were in, you add a be, a MOS and there's an accent on the first a. So you have Obama's. If you want to say you were in, you add AB. You get advice. If you want to say they were in or you were in, you add a be a n to the n of the verb urban. The endings are abba. Abba, abba, abba, abba. Most, advice, oven, oven. Just remember once again that before you add any of these endings, you have to remove the last two letters from the end of the verb. For example, to allow us to love us, means you were speaking of lava. Lava means he was speaking. You might have noticed that I've included a word in brackets at the start of each of the endings. The reason is because if you look at I was in, he was in, she was in, and you were in. The ending is the same for all of them. Ear for ER or IR verbs and abba. For AR verbs. The words in brackets are called subject pronouns, and they just clarify which person you're referring to. Your means I. Two means U. L means he. Agar. Is she. Stayed, means you. Nosotros means we must. Otros means you. A ios is they will stay. This means you say you can add those to clarify, if the ending doesn't make it a 100% clear as to whom you're speaking about. Let's have a look at an example. Ar verb. Hablar means to speak. In the imperfect tense, we get our lava, lava. I was speaking of lavas. Lava. You were speaking of lava or L of Lambda? He was speaking. Ada I've lava. Lava. She was speaking. Who stayed up lava. Lava. You were speaking? I've lab animals. Obama's. We were speaking. I've lobbies or vosotros. I've lobbies. You were speaking? Avalon? Avalon. They were speaking and status. I've loved one. Who set this up, Lavon. You were speaking. 10. ER and IR verbs - full conjugation: Let's have a look at an example ir verb in the imperfect tense. Scrub. Scrub here means to right. So we have SQL tibia. Your escrow Libya means I was writing SQL DB. To SQL DBS means you were writing SQL via el Dia. Means he was writing Escambia. Escambia means she was writing SQL or SQL via means you're writing SQL DB and most nosotros, SQL VM OS means we were writing SQL DBAs. Both ways. Means you are writing SQL DB and SQL DB means they were writing S Caribbean status as Caribbean means you're writing. Now you might have noticed that there are four different ways to say you in Spanish. You have two stairs, vosotros and status to versus vosotros. To and vosotros are both considered informal ways to say you. You can use them when you're talking to people you know well to is the singular version. So you'll use it if you're talking to one person you know well. Vosotros, on the other hand, is the plural version. So you'll use this if you're talking to more than one person that you know well, Steph versus WHO status. And status are both considered formal ways to say you, you can use them when you're talking to people. You want to be extra polite to. Stead is the singular version. So you'll use it if you're talking to one person. Status is the plural version. So you'll use it if you're talking to more than one person and you don't know them very well. 11. You have a go: The verb means to feel. So how would you say in Spanish, we were feeling Cynthia most Cynthia most muscarinic means to look for. So how would you say in Spanish, we were looking for boost gaba most. Boost gaba most. The verb means to buy. So how would you say in Spanish she was buying company Java. Java. The verb means to come. So how would you say in Spanish, you will coming to mania. Mania. Many ice. Status. Bennion. The verb upper end, aer, means to learn. So how would you say in Spanish, he was learning el Dia up India. Bilateral means to dance. So how would you say I was dancing? By lava? Your bile lava. Spared are means to wait. So how would you say in Spanish, they were waiting? A spade a spade oven. I knew that means to help. So how would you say he was helping? Ru ru data? 12. A bit more conjugation practice: The verb dormir means to sleep. So how would you say in Spanish, I was sleeping. Dormir. Your daughter, Mia. S to the r means to study. How would you say you were studying? To S, to the Ava's state S2. The other most atrocious as to the ABA is status as to the oven. But a means to ask. So how would you say in Spanish you were asking To pregnant palace or stead pregnant. Pregnant Tobias status, but I wouldn't davon. The verb means to open. So how would you say in Spanish they were opening? Abelian. Abelian layer means to read. So how would you say you were reading? Two layers? Layer. Layer is status, lay on the web or sad means to use. So how would you say in Spanish he was using L sabah. Sabah. The verb means to drink. So how would you say in Spanish she was drinking? Maybe. Maybe go mer means to eat. So how would you say in Spanish he was eating? Camila. Camila. 13. A few more examples: The verb condusive means to drive in Spanish. So how would you say they were driving? Can't do Sian. Can do Sian. The verb EMR means to call. So how would you say they were calling? Yeah, I'm haben ja ma been the verb means to take. So how would you say I was taking Delmarva, your Bamaga? The verb means to leave. How would you say in Spanish, she was leaving? Scalia. Scalia. The verb that means to say. So how would you say in Spanish, we were saying the CMOs. Cmos. Pen sad means to think. How would you say in Spanish, he was thinking l, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania. The verb means to work. So how would you say in Spanish, she was working? Grab a HAVA. The comments are means to start. How would you say in Spanish, I was starting coming summer. You're coming summer. Maybe it means to live. How would you say in Spanish? We were living BVM, OS DB, almost. S-curve here means to right. So how would you say you were writing to SK previous step, ask Rabia. Most authors is gravy ice WHO status as Caribbean. And then the verb means to put. So how would you say in Spanish they were putting Guanyin? Bunyan. 14. Alternative meaning - Used to: Alternative meaning. In Spanish, there is just one in perfect tense. However, there are two ways you can translate it into English. The first way is what we've been learning so far. The was in a way, but the second way is used to, for example, in Spanish, if you said BB, BB or you could translate that into English as I was living or I used to live. Busy. Busy Tobias can mean you were visiting or you used to visit. In Spanish, you can use the imperfect tense to say what was happening or what used to happen. Most commonly and most. Well, you can translate this into English in two ways. They can mean either we were eating or we used to eat. So there are two different translations for the Spanish imperfect tense. The verb means to speak. So how would you say in Spanish, she used to speak? I've lava. Lava as it still means to attend. So how would you say they used to attend? A cysteine can assist the n ben there means to sell. So how would you say in Spanish, you use to sell? To bend. Step, bend here. Vosotros mania is status. Vendean. Can be ad, means to change. So how would you say in Spanish, you use to change? Two can be abbess. That can be Abba. Most authors can be advice. Status, can be haben. Ja gar, means to arrive. So how would you say in Spanish? I used to arrive. Yeah, gaba. Gaba. 15. Alternative meaning - You have a go: The verbs to three-year means to suffer. So how would you say in Spanish, I used to suffer? Sophia. You're freer. Dorsal means to cough. So how would you say she used to cough? Ostia. Ostia means to run. So how would you say in Spanish he used to run chorea. Chorea. Severe means to go up. How would you say We used to go up? To be honest. So BM has the verb consider, it means to consider. So how would you say in Spanish, we used to consider, consider albums. Consider albums means to look at how would you say they used to look at neuron, a mirror Ivan. The screen here means to describe how would you say are used to describe in Spanish this trivia, your desk, Columbia. Then air means to have. So how would you say you used to have to ten years. Denier vosotros, tiny eyes. Who status than neon. 16. Alternative meaning - A few more examples: The verb means to explain in Spanish. So how would you say he used to explain? Kava. Kava means to stay. How would you say in Spanish, she used to stay. Gave our Ada Guevara. Ella here means to choose. How would you say in Spanish, we used to choose here most, Ella here most. The verb means to give. How would you say in Spanish? They used to give. Now been davon? Yeah. Bar means to carry in Spanish. So how would you say I used to carry your gave about the verb means to make in Spanish. So how would you say he used to make as CEA or L? In actual fact, the verb can mean to make or to do. A CEA can mean he used to make, or it can also mean he used to do. The verb. Means to spend and then to spend time. So how would you say in Spanish, they used to spend by seven. By seven. 17. Negatives - How to form: Negatives. In English, you can turn any imperfect tense phrase negative by saying wasn't or weren't. Instead of was a word. In Spanish, or you have to do to turn in in perfect tense phrase negative is put the word not in front of the verb. For example, of lava. Lava means I was speaking. In the negative. We get no AB lava. Know I've lava, which means I wasn't speaking. So here are five imperfect tense verbs. What I want you to do is see if you can turn them negative. The five verbs are your most Strava. You almost Strava, which means I was showing you the Java. Java. He was helping a Sally-Anne. Sally-anne. They were leaving, say GMOs. Gmos. We were following to the CNS, to the CS. So pause this video, see if you can turn those five verbs negative, and then press play to see if you got them right. So you're more Strava means I was showing in the negative we get your normal Strava. Your normal Strava. I wasn't showing you the Alba means he was helping. And in the negative we get L naught. L naught. And you Dava, he wasn't helping a or Sally-Anne means they will leaving. In the negative, we get a mausoleum. Know Sally-Anne, they weren't leaving. Say gamma's means, we were following in the negative. It becomes Nostradamus. Nostradamus. We weren't following. Then to the CRS means you were saying in the negative, we get two NADH SES, do not see us. Which means you weren't saying. So as you can see, if you do use one of the subject pronouns like your meaning, I or l, or AR or a loss, two, etc. The word no has to come after them, put in front of the verb. For example, we said L IU data means he was helping wealth, turn it negative. You say the L first and then knock comes after that. L naught IU data. He wasn't helping. 18. Negatives - Practice: The verb means to lose in Spanish. So how would you say I wasn't losing? Not better idea. You're not Bernier. Sbar means to wait. So how would you say in Spanish you weren't waiting to know SPA Rava's Orsted noise, spare Alpha, both otros, no SP rabbis. Who status noise Beethoven. But that means to ask in Spanish. So how would you say she wasn't asking not pregnant or not pregnant? Dava. Ghana means to win. So how would you say they weren't winning? Nagana been nagana oven. Kanban means to sing. How would you say in Spanish? I wasn't singing. Knock-on tower. You're not can they bear means to drink? So how would you say in Spanish he wasn't drinking. Nobody. Nobody, yeah. Cellular means to leave. So how would you say you weren't leaving? No Scalia. Who stayed? Nostalgia. Nostalgia is status. Nozzle. Eon. Bilateral means to dance. So how would you say you went dancing? To know by lavas. Who's dead? Nobody lava. Vosotros, noble advice. Status, noble oven. Dry air means to bring. How would you say he wasn't bringing? Not right. Yeah. L naught right here. And means to work. So how would you say we weren't working? Not that I have Ahmose, not travel. 19. Irregulars: Irregulars. There are only three irregular verbs in the Spanish imperfect tense. They are bad, which means to see, ear, meaning to go, and meaning to be. Let's have a look at the three verbs conjugated into the imperfect tense. Your Bayer. Bayer means I was seeing to be asked to bias. You were seeing their day. Yeah. He was seeing Bayer. Bayer. She was seeing stead Bayer. Bayer. You were seeing nosotros. They are most nosotros. Estamos. We were seeing. Bayer is both authors. Bi is using Bayesian AS Bayesian. They were seeing status or status Bei Yan you were seeing. So that's the verb bear in the imperfect tense. Now let's have a look at the verb, which means to go. Your Eva. Eva means I was going to Eve us to EBUS. You were going Eva? Eva. He was going AR Eva. Eva, Eva. She was going EVA. Who said Eva? You were going? Nosotros vamos. Nosotros vamos. We were going vosotros Eva. Eva is means you were going even a loss, even they were going. And we'll status, even status even you were going. And finally, let's have a look at the verb sale in the imperfect tense. Your ERA. Your error means I was to era. To era. You were a era. Era. He was era. Era. She was hosted era. The era. You were nosotros? Nosotros. We were you were a goes Aaron. Aaron. They were. And status a1. A1. You were 20. Irregulars - practice: Even though those three verbs were irregular, once you notice the patterns in each conjugation table, you can remember the verbs more easily. So let's have a practice to see how many of those irregular verbs you can remember. How do you say in Spanish? They were Aidan. Aidan. I was going Eva. Eva. I was Era your era. You were seeing dubious state beta. Beta is status ban. She was era era. They were going even yours, even. You were to era's who said era. Most authors who stay this a1. I was seeing Bayer. Bayer. He was seeing Bayer. Bayer. She was going Eva, Eva, Eva. He was era. Era. We were seeing Bay MOs. Mos. He was going Eva. Eva. She was seeing me. Yeah. Hey, yeah. Bay yeah. We were dramas. Dramas. And you were going to Eva. Eva. Eva is even. 21. Recap: Recap. The imperfect tense in English is formed by putting the word was in front of the verb and in on the end. In Spanish, the imperfect tense is formed by removing the last two letters from the end and then adding the imperfect endings. For AR verbs. We add Alba for I was in Arbus. For you, we're in ABA for he was Abba for she was. And about for you. We're Obama's for we were in advice for you. We're in oven for they were in an oven for you. We're aiming for IR and E-R verbs. We add ear for I was ES for you, we're here for he was here for she was here for you. We're EMOs for we were in EIA's for you. We're EN for they were and EN for you. We're, then we had the three irregular verbs. Bear, goes, Bay Area, the ear, the ear. Bayer, Bayer most. Bei. Bian. Bian. Ear goes Eva, Eva, Eva, Eva, Eva. Eva. Eva is even. And even. Then the verb meaning to b goes Ara, Ara, Ara, Ara, Ara, Ara most era is Aaron. And Aaron.