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A mischievous child poking a sleeping cat with a feather.

cabrear Imperfect Conjugation

cabrearto annoy

B1regular -ar★★★★
Quick answer:

The imperfect of 'cabrear' is regular: cabreaba, cabreabas, cabreaba, cabreábamos, cabreabais, cabreaban.

cabrear Imperfect Forms

yocabreaba
cabreabas
él/ella/ustedcabreaba
nosotroscabreábamos
vosotroscabreabais
ellos/ellas/ustedescabreaban

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past related to annoyance. 'He used to annoy me every day,' or 'We were getting annoyed because of the wait.' It sets the background scene.

Notes on cabrear in the Imperfect

'Cabrear' is a regular -ar verb in the imperfect tense.

Example Sentences

  • Mi hermano siempre me cabreaba cuando éramos niños.

    My brother always used to annoy me when we were children.

    él/ella/usted

  • Nos cabreábamos con la lentitud del servicio.

    We were getting annoyed with the slowness of the service.

    nosotros

  • ¿Te cabreabas a menudo con tu jefe?

    Did you often get annoyed with your boss?

Common Mistakes

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

    Correct: Use 'Me cabreaba' (imperfect) for a continuous state of annoyance.

    Why: The imperfect describes duration or habit, while the preterite marks a completed event.

  • Mistake: Confusing 'cabrear' (to annoy) with 'estar cabreado' (to be annoyed).

    Correct: Use 'Me cabreaba' (I was annoying) or 'Me estaba cabreando' (I was getting annoyed) vs. 'Estaba cabreado' (I was annoyed).

    Why: The verb describes the action of annoying, while the participle describes the state of being annoyed.

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Related Tenses