pagar imperfect tense conjugation
Pagar (to pay) in the imperfect tense: pagaba, pagabas, pagaba, pagábamos, pagabais, pagaban.
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).
Pagar 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
Pagar in a sentence
- Pago la cuenta con tarjeta.I pay the bill with a card.
- Pagué el alquiler ayer.I paid the rent yesterday.
Spelling change g→gu before e: preterite yo 'pagué'; use 'pagar por' for items.
FAQ
What is the imperfect tense of pagar?
Pagar in the Spanish imperfect tense: yo pagaba, tú pagabas, él/ella/usted pagaba, nosotros pagábamos, vosotros pagabais, ellos/ellas/ustedes pagaban.
Is pagar irregular in the imperfect tense?
No. In the imperfect tense pagar takes the regular endings for its verb class, so pagaba 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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