Ser, ir, and ver are the three everyday irregular verbs in the imperfect. Use them to describe what someone was like, where someone used to go, and what someone was seeing or watching.
Overview
The forms are era, iba, and veía. They are short, common, and useful for real past descriptions.
- Cuando era niño, iba al parque. → When I was a child, I used to go to the park.
- Desde la ventana, veía el río. → From the window, I could see the river.
Cómo/cuándo lo usamos
Ser for descriptions
Use ser in the imperfect for identity and descriptions in the past.
- Mi escuela era pequeña. → My school was small.
- Ellos eran vecinos. → They were neighbors.
Ir and ver for repeated scenes
Use ir for repeated movement and ver for what someone saw or watched.
- Íbamos al cine los viernes. → We used to go to the movies on Fridays.
- Veíamos las noticias por la noche. → We used to watch the news at night.
Los verbos irregulares en imperfecto
| Pronombre | Ser | Ir | Ver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | era | iba | veía |
| Tú | eras | ibas | veías |
| Él / Ella / Usted | era | iba | veía |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | éramos | íbamos | veíamos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | erais | ibais | veíais |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | eran | iban | veían |
Oraciones
Afirmativas
- Yo era muy tímido. → I was very shy.
- Tú ibas al gimnasio los fines de semana. → You used to go to the gym on weekends.
- Ella veía películas con su familia. → She used to watch movies with her family.
- Nosotros éramos vecinos. → We were neighbors.
Negativas
- Yo no era estudiante. → I was not a student.
- Él no iba al trabajo los sábados. → He did not use to go to work on Saturdays.
- Nosotras no veíamos televisión. → We did not use to watch television.
- Ellos no eran amigos. → They were not friends.
Forma de pregunta
- ¿Eras tímido de niño? → Were you shy as a child?
- ¿Ibas al parque los fines de semana? → Did you use to go to the park on weekends?
- ¿Veían esa serie en casa? → Did they use to watch that series at home?
- ¿Éramos compañeros de clase? → Were we classmates?
Oraciones
Afirmativas
- Yo siempre era puntual. → I was always on time.
- Tú a veces ibas al parque. → You sometimes used to go to the park.
- Ella siempre veía películas en casa. → She always used to watch movies at home.
- Nosotros éramos vecinos. → We were neighbors.
Negativas
- Yo nunca era impuntual. → I was never late.
- Él nunca iba al gimnasio. → He never used to go to the gym.
- Nosotras nunca veíamos televisión. → We never used to watch television.
- Ellos nunca eran amigos. → They were never friends.
Forma de pregunta
- ¿Siempre eras puntual? → Were you always on time?
- ¿A veces ibas al parque? → Did you sometimes use to go to the park?
- ¿Nunca veían televisión? → Did they never use to watch television?
- ¿Éramos vecinos? → Were we neighbors?