ver imperfect tense conjugation
Ver (to see) in the imperfect tense: veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían.
Pretérito imperfecto Imperfect
| yo | regular: vía |
|---|---|
| tú | regular: vías |
| él/ella/usted | regular: vía |
| nosotros | regular: víamos |
| vosotros | regular: víais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | regular: vían |
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).
Ver is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give vía, vías, vía, víamos, víais, vían.
Read more: Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each
Ver in a sentence
- Veo la televisión por la noche.I watch television at night.
- ¿Viste esa película?Did you see that movie?
Irregular yo form 'veo'; regular in most other forms; used for watching and seeing.
FAQ
What is the imperfect tense of ver?
Ver in the Spanish imperfect tense: yo veía, tú veías, él/ella/usted veía, nosotros veíamos, vosotros veíais, ellos/ellas/ustedes veían.
Is ver irregular in the imperfect tense?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: yo veía (regular would be vía); tú veías (regular would be vías); él/ella/usted veía (regular would be vía); nosotros veíamos (regular would be víamos); vosotros veíais (regular would be víais); ellos/ellas/ustedes veían (regular would be vían).
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).
Full ver conjugation, all tenses →
Drill it with flashcards →