añadir Imperfect Conjugation

When to Use the Imperfect

The imperfect is for describing actions or states in the past that were ongoing, habitual, or set the scene. Think of describing what someone *used to do* or *was doing* when something else happened.

Notes on añadir in the Imperfect

Añadir is regular in the imperfect tense. All its forms follow the standard conjugation pattern for -ir verbs.

Example Sentences

• Cuando era niño, yo añadía miel al yogur todos los días.

  When I was a child, I used to add honey to my yogurt every day.

  yo

• Tú siempre añadías demasiada sal a la comida.

  You always used to add too much salt to the food.

  tú

• Ella añadía flores a su pelo cada mañana.

  She was adding flowers to her hair every morning.

  él/ella/usted

• Antes, nosotros añadíamos azúcar, pero ahora usamos edulcorante.

  Before, we used to add sugar, but now we use sweetener.

  nosotros

• Ellos añadían comentarios a cada párrafo.

  They were adding comments to each paragraph.

  ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect for habitual past actions.

  Correct: For actions that happened repeatedly or were habitual in the past, use the imperfect: 'Yo añadía miel' (I used to add honey).

  Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or repeated states/actions, while the preterite describes completed ones.

• Mistake: Confusing 'añadía' (yo) with 'añadía' (él/ella/usted).

  Correct: The yo and él/ella/usted forms are identical ('añadía'). Context or subject pronouns (yo, él, ella, usted) clarify who is performing the action.

  Why: This is a common characteristic of regular verbs in the imperfect tense.

Related Tenses