Comía
imperfect
Spanish expresses "used to" with the imperfect tense, such as Comía for "I used to eat". You can also use solía plus an infinitive, as in solía comer.
Meaning: past habit (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| Comía | imperfect |
| Solía comer | soler + infinitive |
Use the imperfect for habits and repeated actions in the past: Jugaba al fútbol cada tarde. It also sets the scene, as in Era muy tarde.
What does it mean word for word?
The imperfect of -ar verbs ends in -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -aban. For -er and -ir verbs the endings are -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -ían.
Which one should you use?
Solía is a bit more literary. In everyday speech most people use the plain imperfect, sometimes with a time word such as siempre or antes.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the preterite for habits. Comí means "I ate" once, not "I used to eat".
Did you know?
- Only three Spanish verbs are irregular in the imperfect: ser (era), ir (iba) and ver (veía).
Examples in context
- Cuando era niño, jugaba al fútbol cada tarde.When I was a child, I used to play soccer every afternoon.
- Mi abuela solía cocinar los domingos.My grandmother used to cook on Sundays.
- Antes vivíamos en Madrid.We used to live in Madrid.
Example conversation
Abuela Rosa talks with her grandson Mateo about her childhood village.
- MateoAbuela, ¿dónde vivías de niña?Grandma, where did you live as a girl?
- Abuela RosaVivía en un pueblo pequeño.I lived in a small village.
- Mateo¿Qué hacías allí?What did you used to do there?
- Abuela RosaSolía ayudar en la huerta.I used to help in the garden.
