The imperfect tense in Spanish is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. To conjugate the verb “ser” (to be) in the imperfect tense, you follow a specific pattern. The imperfect tense of “ser” is as follows:
- Yo era (I was)
- Tú eras (You were)
- Él/ella/usted era (He/she/you were)
- Nosotros/as éramos (We were)
- Vosotros/as erais (You all were - used in some parts of Spain)
- Ellos/as eran (They were)
This conjugation is used for descriptions of what someone or something was like in the past, for ongoing conditions in the past, or for actions that were happening at the same time as another action in the past. For example:
- Yo era estudiante cuando vivía en Madrid. (I was a student when I lived in Madrid.)
- Ella era muy feliz cuando era niña. (She was very happy when she was a girl.)
- Nosotros éramos amigos desde el colegio. (We were friends since elementary school.)
The imperfect tense can also be used to talk about actions that were interrupted by another action in the past. This would be in combination with the preterite tense, which describes completed actions in the past. For example:
- Yo era feliz en mi trabajo hasta que me despidieron. (I was happy in my job until I was fired.)
Understanding and correctly using the imperfect tense of “ser” is crucial for effective communication in Spanish, as it provides a way to describe ongoing past states or conditions.
