English–Spanish
“imperfect tense” in Spanish
Spanish
Pronunciation
IPA/impeɾˈfekto/
Example
Usamos el imperfecto para describir acciones habituales en el pasado.
We use the imperfect tense to describe habitual actions in the past.
How to say “imperfect tense” in Spanish
“Imperfect tense” in Spanish is imperfecto.
A faded band on a past timeline showing an ongoing interval.
Example sentences with imperfecto
Mientras ella cocinaba sonó el teléfono, y la acción en curso se expresa con el imperfecto.
While she was cooking, the phone rang, and the ongoing action is expressed with the imperfect tense.
Tips for using imperfecto
- Signal words like siempre, a menudo, mientras, todos los días, and cuando era often cue the imperfecto, which describes background scenes or repeated past actions rather than single completed events.