Skip to content
Spanish Grammar on Repeat
Subscribe on YouTube
A2Song 05Elementary3:03Out Sat 3 Oct, 16:00 UK

Spanish Imperfect Tense Song

Hablaba, Era, Iba

Learn the Spanish imperfect (the imperfecto) in one song: -aba and -ía, for habits and background, next to the preterite for one-time events. Only three irregulars: era, iba, veía.

InfinitivePreteriteImperfect7 verbs in 2 groups

New song · out on YouTube

Sat 3 Oct, 16:00 UK

Get it first

Chapters

  1. 0:00Intro
  2. 0:11Estribillo (chorus)
  3. 0:39El imperfecto: -aba, -ía · hablar, comer, vivir, trabajar
  4. 1:10Estribillo (chorus)
  5. 1:38Solo tres irregulares: ser, ir, ver
  6. 2:15Estribillo final (chorus)

Lyrics · Spanish, then English

Intro

¡El imperfecto: lo que pasaba!The imperfect: what used to be!

Estribillo

-aba y -ía: hablaba, comía,-aba, -ía: I used to talk, to eat,

hablé, una vez; hablaba, costumbre,"hablé" is once, "hablaba" is a habit,

¡era, iba, veía, y ya está!era, iba, veía, just three, that's it!

Verse 1 · El imperfecto: -aba, -ía

-ar verbs take -aba, -er and -ir verbs take -ía: habits, background

Hablar, hablé, hablaba, comer, comí, comía,I talked, used to talk, I ate, used to eat,

vivir, viví, vivía,I lived, I used to live,

trabajar, trabajé, trabajaba,I worked, I used to work,

De estudiante, trabajaba en un bar,as a student, I used to work in a bar,

Estribillo

-aba y -ía: hablaba, comía,-aba, -ía: I used to talk, to eat,

hablé, una vez; hablaba, costumbre,"hablé" is once, "hablaba" is a habit,

¡era, iba, veía, y ya está!era, iba, veía, just three, that's it!

Verse 2 · Solo tres irregulares

ser → era, ir → iba, ver → veía, and that's all!

Ser, fui, era, ir, fui, iba,I was, used to be, I went, used to go,

ver, vi, veía, ¡solo tres!I saw, I used to see, just three!

En Madrid iba al gimnasio,in Madrid I used to go to the gym,

pero un día fui al médico,but one day I went to the doctor,

Estribillo final

-aba y -ía: hablaba, comía,-aba, -ía: I used to talk, to eat,

hablé, una vez; hablaba, costumbre,"hablé" is once, "hablaba" is a habit,

¡era, iba, veía, y ya está!era, iba, veía, just three, that's it!

The verbs

All 7 verbs, in groups

The song sings the verbs in groups that follow one pattern, so you learn the pattern once and use it for every verb. The underlined part is what the group shares.

El imperfecto: -aba, -ía

-ar verbs take -aba, -er and -ir verbs take -ía: habits, background

once → used to
El imperfecto: -aba, -ía: Infinitive, Preterite, Imperfect
InfinitivePreteriteImperfect
hablarhabléhablaba
comercomícomía
vivirvivívivía
trabajartrabajétrabajaba

Solo tres irregulares

ser → era, ir → iba, ver → veía, and that's all!

era · iba · veía
Solo tres irregulares: Infinitive, Preterite, Imperfect
InfinitivePreteriteImperfect
serfuiera
irfuiiba
verviveía

Practice

Test yourself

Once, or a habit? Choose the preterite (once) or the imperfect (used to).

  1. 1.De estudiante, en un bar.

    As a student, I used to work in a bar.

  2. 2.En Madrid al gimnasio.

    In Madrid I used to go to the gym.

  3. 3.Pero un día al médico.

    But one day I went to the doctor.

  4. 4. , una vez; hablaba, costumbre.

    “Hablé” is once, “hablaba” is a habit.

  5. 5.Vivir, viví, .

    I lived, I used to live.

  6. 6.Ser, fui, , ir, fui, iba.

    I was, used to be, I went, used to go.

  7. 7.Ver, vi, , ¡solo tres!

    I saw, I used to see, just three!

0 of 7 answered

More practice with this songHear Sol sing a line, type the missing words, then check the answers and explanations.Spanish Imperfect Tense exercises

Your turn

What did you use to do? Write one sentence with the imperfect

For example: «De estudiante, trabajaba en un bar.»

Subscribe to get the song first

Keep singing

3:01
A2Song 01

Spanish Past Tense: Regular Verbs

Hablé, Habló

Watch and sing along
3:17
A2Song 02

Spanish Irregular Preterite

Tuve, Estuve, Pude

Watch and sing along
Out Thu 1 Oct
A2Song 03

Spanish Irregular Preterite Part 2

Hice, Dije, Vine

See the lyrics