bombear Imperfect Conjugation

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect of 'bombear' to describe actions that were happening over a period of time in the past, or that were habitual. It sets the scene: 'The pump was pumping water,' or 'He used to pump gas every day.'

Notes on bombear in the Imperfect

Bombear is regular in the imperfect indicative. The endings are standard for -ar verbs in this tense.

Example Sentences

• Yo bombeaba agua del pozo cuando era niño.

  I used to pump water from the well when I was a child.

  yo

• ¿Tú bombeabas la máquina mientras yo arreglaba el motor?

  Were you pumping the machine while I fixed the engine?

  tú

• Ella bombeaba aire en las llantas porque estaban bajas.

  She was pumping air into the tires because they were low.

  él/ella/usted

• Nosotros bombeábamos la solución lentamente.

  We were pumping the solution slowly.

  nosotros

• Ellos bombeaban aceite a las partes móviles.

  They were pumping oil to the moving parts.

  ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Using the preterite 'bombeó' instead of the imperfect 'bombeaba'.

  Correct: For ongoing actions in the past ('She was pumping air'), use the imperfect 'bombeaba'. Use the preterite ('bombeó') for a completed action.

  Why: The imperfect describes duration or repetition, while the preterite describes a single, completed event.

• Mistake: Confusing imperfect forms with other tenses.

  Correct: Remember the imperfect endings for -ar verbs: -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban.

  Why: This tense has distinct endings that learners need to memorize.

Related Tenses