Immersive Spanish - Immersive Spanish, Season 6, San Sebastián: Episode 21, Last Night in San Sebastián, The Imperfect Tense

Episode Date: July 9, 2026

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Season 6, Episode 21 Buenos Aires, Ketal. Come and join me at this rooftop bar. Epic, eh? Up above the old town, looking out over San Sebastian. The city is lit up below, and the bay is a dark shimmer in the distance. And to top it all off,

I've got a glass of chakoli to complete the experience. It's one of those nights where you just sit and think. And I find myself thinking about before. Before I came here. Before I could speak Spanish. What my life was like. What I used to do.

How I used to feel. The places I used to go. Not one finished moment. Not one completed action. Just the way things were. And that's exactly what the imperfect tense is for. Well, you've just learned the preterate, the simple past, things that happened, things that are finished, completed, done. Remember?

Fui, comie, ablete. But the imperfect is different. The imperfect isn't about one finished action. It's about what things were like. Fihate. Fijate means pay attention. Notice this, look closely. Fijate bien, because I'm going to explain

the three uses principales of imperfecta. The first use of imperfect is describing what things were like in the past, what the weather was like, what a place was like, how you felt. Second, talking about things you used to do. Habits and routines that happened again and again.

Third, describing something that was already happening in the past when something else occurred. So, three jobs. Description, habit, and ongoing background. Era difficult. It was difficult. That's description. Or, I go to the market all days.

I used to go to the market every day. That's habit. It was jovying when I arrived. That is background. Description, habit, background. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the imperfect. The preterate tells you what happened. The imperfect, however, tells you what was going on.

Together, they paint the full picture. Let me show you the pattern first, and then we'll use it. But don't worry about memorizing a table, just listen for the sound at the end. With AR verbs, that is verbs that end in AR, the sound you're listening for is ABA, ABA, Ava. Ablar, meaning to speak. So, if I were to say, I used to speak, or I was speaking, Ablava Ablava One more time, listen

Ablava Hear that ending Ava Ablava Now if it's you We add an S sound So you used to speak Ablavas

Ablavas Ablavas Ablavas He or she used to speak goes back to the same form as I. So, Ablava. El Ablava.

Eya ablava. So, Ablava can mean I used to speak, he used to speak, or she used to speak. Context tells us who. And they used to speak is Ablavan. Ablavan. Ablavan. So, the pattern we have here is

Ablava. Ablavas. Ablava. Ablavan. Say them with me. Ablava. Ablavas. Ablava.

Ablavan. Estupendo. So, for A.R. verbs, your key sound is Ava. Ablava. Caminava. Escuchava. Pensava. I used to speak.

I used to walk. I used to listen, I used to think. Now, for ER and I-R verbs, the sound changes. Instead of Ava, we get iya. Comer, a verb that ends in ER. We remove the ER and get comia. Comia, comia. I used to eat, or I was eating.

That I-A-eer sound is your flag. Comea. You used to eat. Comias. Comias. He or she used to eat. Again, same form as I. Comia.

Comeia. Comea. They used to eat. Comian. Comian. Comeyan. So the pattern here is Comeia

Comias Comia Comia Comian So listen to the difference A-R verbs give you Ava Ablava

Caminava Escuchava Pensava E-R and I-R verbs give you ear Comeia, Bebia, Vivia,

Veia Ava, Ia Ablava, Comia Pensava, Vivia That's the basic shape

of the imperfect And the beautiful thing is that the imperfect is one of the most regular Tenses in Spanish, almost no irregular verbs. There are just three There are just three exceptions worth knowing at this level.

Ser to be, Iir to go and ver to see. Let me give you those now. Ser to be. The imperfect is E-ra. That's spelled E-R-A. Ere. I was.

He was, she was, it was. E-da. It was very difficult. It was very difficult. Era, my, difficult. If we're talking about they were,

we say, eran. We simply add an N. Eran. Eran moi difficult. They were very difficult. But for now, the form you'll hear constantly is Eder.

Eder. Now, moving on. Ir to go. The imperfect is Iva. I used to go. Or I was going. Iva. So if I were to say,

Iva to meerkado todos los days. I used to go to the market every day. Iva. Al Mercado Toos Los Days

Todos Los Diaz meaning every day all the days and the final irregular verb Ver to see

the imperfect is Vea Vea I used to see or I was seeing vea vea

I could see the waves from the window, or I was seeing the waves from the window. Des de la ventana from the window. Right, now let me use all of this to actually reflect. Because sitting up here looking out over this city, I'm thinking about before I came, before any of this. When I was younger, I used to dislike Spanish, or rather, I used to find it impossible. When I was a young, no podia to be Spanish. Listen again closely. Wheno era,

Joven No Podia Ablaar Spanish When I was young I couldn't speak Spanish

When I was a young No podia Ablaar Spanish Notice what we're doing here This isn't one finished

action It's not I spoke Spanish once Or I didn't speak Spanish yesterday Rather, it's a description of how things were back then. When I was a johden, no podia to speak Spanish was only for other people.

People who are naturally good at languages. I thought that the Spanish was only for other people. Listen again? I thought that the Spanish was

only for other persons I used to think that Spanish was only for other people I used to think

from the verb but I used to listen to music in Spanish I used to watch films I used music in Spanish and I used to listen to music in Spanish and watch films. I used to listen. Beia I used to watch or I used to see. And slowly, things were changing.

Without realizing it, patterns were forming. Las Casas Establan Cambiano, poco a poco. Las Coursas Estaban Cambiano Poco

a, Poco. Things were changing little by little. Estabian Cambiano. They were changing. Now, don't worry too much about the grammar name here, but notice the shape. Estaban, cambiano.

They were changing. That's the imperfect of ester plus the ing form. We've already seen this in the present. For example, I am walking. But in the past, it becomes, Estaba caminando. meaning I was walking. They were changing.

They were changing. It gives you that feeling of something ongoing in the background. Something was happening. Something was changing. Something was going on. It was jolienda when I arrived. It was raining. When I came when I arrived.

And this is where the imperfect and the preterate work beautifully together. Estabha jovienda. That is the background. It was raining. Then, I arrived. That's the moment, the completed action. It was raining when I arrived. It was raining when I arrived.

Let me do a few more, because these combinations are everywhere in real conversation. It was sunny when I left the apartment. Asia, sol, when I left the apartment. When, sali, dead, apartment. Asia sol, it was sunny. Sali, I left from the verb Salir to exit. Asia sol.

Well, that's the background, isn't it? The context of the story. Salis, that's the action. That's when I left. A completed action. How about this? Comia when sono el telethono.

I was eating when the phone rang. Comia, when sono, el telephono. Comia, meaning I was eating, and sono, it rang from sonar to ring. Comia is the background.

Sono is the action. Comia when sono el teleno. So, Spanish gives you two layers. layer one The background Comia Estabia

Joveyendo Asia Sol Layer 2 The event Sono the telephone I I

Salis del Apartment The Imperfect sets the scene The Preterate moves the story forward The Imperfect Tells you what was going on

The Pretreate tells you what happened. And that combination is exactly how Spanish storytelling works. Now, I know this can feel strange at first. In English, we don't usually think, which past tense do I need to have here? We just say, I went, I was going, I used to go. But in Spanish, those differences matter. So let's make it practical. I'll give you two versions and I want you to feel the difference. I went to the market. I went to the market.

One finished trip. That's the preterate. Iva al Mercado todos los days. Iva al-Mercado. Todos los days. Meaning, I used to go to the market every day. We're talking about a habit. Something repeated.

That is the imperfect. So, fuy. Preterate. Eva. Imperfect. Another one. Comey a pincho. Comi, an pincho.

I ate a pincho. Done, finished. One completed action. Of course, that would be the preterate. But listen to this. Comia when sono el teleno. Comia, when sono, the telephone.

I was eating when the phone rang. Comia is what was going on in the background. That is the imperfect. Sono is what happened. That's the preterate. So, comi, preterate, comia, imperfect. Another one. Ablet.

I spoke to the waiter, one completed conversation. That would be the preterate. Verses, Ablava Spanish all those days. Meaning, I used to speak Spanish every day. A habit, repeated action. Imperfect. So, Ablet, preterate.

Ablava. Imperfect. And one more for good measure. Jagee to San Sebastian. Jue to San Sebastian. I arrived in San Sebastian. That's the moment. The arrival.

Completed. I arrived. It's not an ongoing action in the past. It happened. Preterate. Versus Era very bonito. Era very bonito.

It was very beautiful. That is, of course, a description, what it was like. Imperfect. So if you're talking about what happened, think preterate. Fui, comi, able, jegué. But if you're talking about what things were like, what you used to do, or what was going on, think imperfect. Eda, Iva, comia, ablava. The preterate moves the story forward.

The imperfect, it paints the scene, let's say. Now let's see how much of that your ear has picked up. How do you say, I used to speak? Ablava. Ablava. So is that preterate or imperfect? It's imperfect. And that's because it's something I used to do.

How do you say, I spoke? Ablae. Ablet. And that would be preterate or imperfect. Ablet is preterate. And that's because it's one completed action. Just imagine I spoke on the phone to you yesterday. That phone call where I spoke?

It's gone. It's been and gone. So how would you say they used to eat? Comeyan. Comian. Comian. Is that preterate or imperfect? Well, it's imperfect.

A habit or a background action. How would you say they ate? Comieron. Comieron. Now, would that be preterate or imperfect? Pretorate. Finished, done. They ate their meal.

How about I used to go to the market every day. I va al Mercado todos los days. Iva. Al Mercado. Todos, los, days. Now, would that be preterate or imperfect? Imperfect.

Todos los days. Every day. That tells us it was a habit. But how about if you were to say, I went to the market yesterday. Fui al-mercado ayer. Fui al-mercado ayer. I went to the market yesterday.

Now, would that be preterate? or imperfect. Preterate. Ayer. Yesterday. One finished trip. And do you remember how you would say, when I was young, I couldn't speak Spanish. When was young, no podia to be a Spanish. When? ERA. Hoven.

No. Podia. Ablar. Spanish. Is that preterate or imperfect? It's imperfect. It's describing how things were back then.

Oh, how about? It was raining when I arrived. Estabba jovying when I came. It was. Joveendo When Juege

Which part of that is imperfect? It was raining. Imagine painting a scene. The rain forms the background. When I arrive, I'm moving that scene forwards, aren't I? Juege. I arrived. It's a completed action.

How do you say? It was sunny when I left the apartment. I saw when I sali del apartment. Asia. Sol. When. Sali. Del.

Apartamento. Which part of that sentence is imperfect? Asia Sol. It was sunny. Again, that's the background. Which part is the preterate? Salis. I left.

That's the completed action. It's moving that scene forwards. Very bien, Viejoeros. Lo estas aseando, very well. You're doing really well. Villajeros, believe it or not, that is the end of the season.

I know there was a bit more theory than you're used to on immersive Spanish, but rest assured, it's essential to understand the theory behind Spanish if you want to remember it and ultimately become fluent. Next season, we'll be going somewhere very special.

Just know that you can expect more adventures and even more real world Spanish. Bueno, viajero, until the next.