(It was raining.) These give you the conjugation of estar in the imperfect tense for all the personal pronouns. So, let's make this easy to learn. (When we arrived, it was raining. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. (He was taking a shower.). She was looking at Sam → Estaba mirando a Sam. Click here to get a copy. This lesson demonstrates a very easy formula you can apply to form the past progressive without making mistakes (subject + imperfect tense of the verb estar + another verb in the 'progressive' tense, which ends in -ando, -iendo, or -yendo). (I was taking a shower when you called. She was looking at Sam, and she was crying hysterically. This 'progressive' or 'gerund' tense is known as gerundio in Spanish. Now, it's important to review pronunciation and the verb ending in the English equivalent '-ing'. When the phone rang, I was telling her how much I love her.”. Yo estaba lavando los platos mientras mi padre estaba limpiando el piso. You are in the correct post. Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree. What you didn't know was that there is a past progressive tense that is EXACTLY THE SAME as the present progressive, except that the verb estar is in the imperfect tense. Lastly, you will find the past progressive in sentences describing actions that were interrupted by another action. The past progressive is for these “ing” cases, in the past. Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the iOS or Android FluentU app. Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Easy! Thus, the English equivalent of the Spanish past progressive tense is '...was/were doing something'. Once we have those two things together we can start having fun! ), Tú estabas preparando la cena.
As for irregular verbs, it would be outside the scope of this post to include all the possible irregularities and infinitives. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. ), Ellos estaban viendo una película cuando el teléfono sonó.
The past progressive (e.g. I am walking = Estoy caminando.
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Notice I said “what was happening,” meaning you use this tense for the same purpose you use it in English: talking about ongoing past actions. Get started with free lessons, exclusive discounts, and more.