A2 Spanish grammar
The Three Irregular Spanish Imperfect Verbs: Ser, Ir, and Ver
Only three high-frequency verbs are irregular in the imperfect: ser, ir, and ver. Their small paradigms are worth learning as complete families.
irregular Spanish imperfect verbs: Use era forms for ser
Ser uses era, eras, era, éramos, erais, and eran for past identity, description, time, and setting.
La casa era pequeña.Quick check
Nosotros ___ niños. (ser)
Use iba forms for ir
Ir uses iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, and iban for repeated or background movement.
Íbamos al parque cada tarde.Use veía forms for ver
Ver keeps ve- and adds the regular -ía family: veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían.
Veíamos el mar desde la ventana.Common mistakes
La casa estaba pequeña.
La casa era pequeña.
Use ser for a defining description of what the house was like.
Cada día fuimos al colegio.
Cada día íbamos al colegio.
A repeated past habit is naturally imperfect.
Yo vía la montaña.
Yo veía la montaña.
The imperfect stem remains ve-.
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Irregular imperfect FAQ
What does irregular imperfect cover?
Only three high-frequency verbs are irregular in the imperfect: ser, ir, and ver. Their small paradigms are worth learning as complete families.
What is the first rule to remember?
Ser uses era, eras, era, éramos, erais, and eran for past identity, description, time, and setting.
What is another important A2 pattern?
Ir uses iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, and iban for repeated or background movement.
How can I practise irregular Spanish imperfect verbs?
Complete the focused round, review each correction, and repeat the lesson when its skills become due again.