ser imperfect tense conjugation
Ser (to be (permanent state)) in the imperfect tense: era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran.
Pretérito imperfecto Imperfect
| yo | regular: sía |
|---|---|
| tú | regular: sías |
| él/ella/usted | regular: sía |
| nosotros | regular: síamos |
| vosotros | regular: síais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | regular: sían |
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).
Ser is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give sía, sías, sía, síamos, síais, sían.
Read more: Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each
Ser in a sentence
- Ella es doctora.She is a doctor.
- Nosotros éramos amigos de niños.We were friends as children.
Irregular verb; use for identity, characteristics, origin, time, not temporary states.
FAQ
What is the imperfect tense of ser?
Ser in the Spanish imperfect tense: yo era, tú eras, él/ella/usted era, nosotros éramos, vosotros erais, ellos/ellas/ustedes eran.
Is ser irregular in the imperfect tense?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: yo era (regular would be sía); tú eras (regular would be sías); él/ella/usted era (regular would be sía); nosotros éramos (regular would be síamos); vosotros erais (regular would be síais); ellos/ellas/ustedes eran (regular would be sían).
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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