Brain Boost: Present, Preterite, Present Perfect
Section 8: Spanish Imperfect Tense
Brain Boost: Spanish Preterite and Imperfect
Section 9: Spanish Future Tense
Brain Boost: Present, Preterite, Future
Section 10: Spanish Conditional Tense
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Instruction: Spanish Imperfect Tense – Reflexive

Reflexive verbs in Spanish are used when the subject of the verb is also the object, meaning the action is performed on oneself. In the imperfect tense, reflexive verbs describe actions that were habitual, ongoing, or occurred at regular intervals in the past. The reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se) are used in conjunction with the verb to indicate that the action is reflexive.

The imperfect tense is often used with reflexive verbs to talk about daily routines, personal care, emotions, or actions that were part of a regular pattern in the past.

How to Conjugate Reflexive Verbs in the Imperfect Tense

To conjugate reflexive verbs in the imperfect tense:

  1. Add the appropriate reflexive pronoun before the verb.
  2. Conjugate the verb in the imperfect tense according to the subject.
Reflexive Pronouns:

Singular

Plural

First Person

me (myself)

nos (ourselves)

Second Person

(yourself - Juana/Pedro)

os (yourself informal – used mainly in Spain)

Third Person

se (himself)

se (herself)

se (yourself Sra./Sr. García)

se (they masculine/mixed)

se (they feminine)

se (you all)

Conjugation Patterns for Regular Reflexive Verbs

1. -ar Verbs (e.g., levantarse – to get up)

Yo

me levantaba

I got up (weekly)
I used to get up
I was getting up

Nosotros

nos levantábamos

we got up (on Thursdays)
we used to get up
we were getting up

(Juana, Juan)

te levantabas

you got up (daily)
you used to get up
you were getting up

Vosotros

(informal Spain)

os levantabais

you all got up (frequently)
you all used to get up
you all were getting up

Él/Ella/Ud.

(Sra./Dr. García)

se levantaba

he/she/you got up (sometimes)
he/she/you used to get up
he/she/you were getting up

Ellos/Ellas/Uds.

se levantaban

they/you (all almost never) got up
they/you all used to get up
they/you all were getting up

Examples:

  • Yo me levantaba a las siete todos los días. (I used to get up at seven every day.)
  • Nosotros nos levantábamos temprano para ir a la escuela. (We got up early to go to school regularly.)
  • Él se levantaba cuando sonó el despertador. (He was getting up when the alarm rang.)
2. -er Verbs (e.g., ponerse – to put on [clothing])

Yo

me ponía

I put on (weekly)
I used to put on
I was putting on

Nosotros

nos poníamos

we put on (on Thursdays)
we used to put on
we were putting on

(Juana, Juan)

te ponías

you put on (daily)
you used to put on
you were putting on

Vosotros

(informal Spain)

os poníais

you all put on (frequently)
you all used to put on
you all were putting on

Él/Ella/Ud.

(Sra./Dr. García)

se ponía

he/she/you put on (sometimes)
he/she/you used to put on
he/she/you were putting on

Ellos/Ellas/Uds.

se ponían

they/you (all almost never) put on
they/you all used to put on
they/you all were putting on

Examples:

  • Yo me ponía el abrigo antes de salir cada mañana. (I used to put on my coat before leaving every morning.)
  • Nosotros nos poníamos los zapatos cada día antes de salir. (We put on our shoes every day before leaving.)
  • Ella se ponía nerviosa antes de los exámenes. (She was getting nervous before exams.)
3. -ir Verbs (e.g., dormirse – to fall asleep)

Yo

me dormía

I fell asleep (weekly)
I used to fall asleep
I was falling asleep

Nosotros

nos dormíamos

we fell asleep (on Thursdays)
we used to fall asleep
we were falling asleep

(Juana, Juan)

te dormías

you fell asleep (daily)
you used to fall asleep
you were falling asleep

Vosotros

(informal Spain)

os dormíais

you all fell asleep (frequently)
you all used to fall asleep
you all were falling asleep

Él/Ella/Ud.

(Sra./Dr. García)

se dormía

he/she/you fell asleep (sometimes)
he/she/you used to fall asleep
he/she/you were falling asleep

Ellos/Ellas/Uds.

se dormían

they/you (all almost never) fell asleep
they/you all used to fall asleep
they/you all were falling asleep

Examples:

  • Yo me dormía a las diez de la noche. (I used to fall asleep at ten at night.)
  • Nosotros nos dormíamos en clase los lunes por la mañana. (We fell asleep in class on Monday mornings.)
  • Ellos se dormían cuando la película estaba terminando. (They were falling asleep when the movie was ending.)
Conclusion

Using reflexive verbs in the imperfect tense is key to describing past routines, habits, and actions that were ongoing or repeated. By understanding how to conjugate reflexive verbs in this tense, you’ll be able to talk about your past experiences and daily activities in greater detail. Keep practicing these conjugations to become more comfortable with reflexive verbs in the imperfect tense!