utilizar imperfect tense conjugation
Utilizar (to use) in the imperfect tense: utilizaba, utilizabas, utilizaba, utilizábamos, utilizabais, utilizaban.
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).
Utilizar 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
Utilizar in a sentence
- Utilizo el ordenador para trabajar.I use the computer to work.
- Utilizaron nuevas técnicas en el proyecto.They used new techniques in the project.
Synonym of 'usar'; spelling change z→c before e: preterite yo 'utilicé'.
FAQ
What is the imperfect tense of utilizar?
Utilizar in the Spanish imperfect tense: yo utilizaba, tú utilizabas, él/ella/usted utilizaba, nosotros utilizábamos, vosotros utilizabais, ellos/ellas/ustedes utilizaban.
Is utilizar irregular in the imperfect tense?
No. In the imperfect tense utilizar takes the regular endings for its verb class, so utilizaba 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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