formar imperfect tense conjugation
Formar (to form, shape) in the imperfect tense: formaba, formabas, formaba, formábamos, formabais, formaban.
Pretérito imperfecto Imperfect
| yo | |
|---|---|
| tú | |
| él/ella/usted | |
| nosotros | |
| vosotros | |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the imperfect tense
The imperfect (pretérito imperfecto) describes the past as background: habits (“used to”), ongoing actions (“was doing”), descriptions, age and time. “Cuando era niño, vivía en Sevilla.”
How it is formed
Regular endings: -ar → aba, abas, aba, ábamos, abais, aban; -er/-ir → ía, ías, ía, íamos, íais, ían. Only three verbs are irregular in the imperfect: ser (era), ir (iba) and ver (veía).
Formar is regular here, so it is a good model for other verbs of the same class.
Read more: Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each
Formar in a sentence
- Formo parte de un equipo grande.I'm part of a large team.
- Formaron una fila para entrar.They formed a line to get in.
Regular -ar verb; common phrase 'formar parte de' means 'to be part of'.
FAQ
What is the imperfect tense of formar?
Formar in the Spanish imperfect tense: yo formaba, tú formabas, él/ella/usted formaba, nosotros formábamos, vosotros formabais, ellos/ellas/ustedes formaban.
Is formar irregular in the imperfect tense?
No. In the imperfect tense formar takes the regular endings for its verb class, so formaba follows the same pattern as any regular verb.
When do you use the Spanish imperfect tense?
The imperfect (pretérito imperfecto) describes the past as background: habits (“used to”), ongoing actions (“was doing”), descriptions, age and time. “Cuando era niño, vivía en Sevilla.”
How is the imperfect tense formed?
Regular endings: -ar → aba, abas, aba, ábamos, abais, aban; -er/-ir → ía, ías, ía, íamos, íais, ían. Only three verbs are irregular in the imperfect: ser (era), ir (iba) and ver (veía).
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