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cocinar Imperfect Conjugation

cocinarto cook

A1regular -ar★★★★★
Quick answer:

The imperfect of cocinar is regular: cocinaba, cocinabas, cocinaba, cocinábamos, cocinabais, cocinaban.

cocinar Imperfect Forms

yococinaba
cocinabas
él/ella/ustedcocinaba
nosotroscocinábamos
vosotroscocinabais
ellos/ellas/ustedescocinaban

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect to describe habitual cooking habits in the past or to set the scene (e.g., 'I was cooking when...'). It is perfect for talking about what your grandma used to cook.

Notes on cocinar in the Imperfect

Cocinar is fully regular in the imperfect. Remember that the 'yo' and 'él/ella' forms are identical (cocinaba).

Example Sentences

  • Mi abuela cocinaba paella todos los domingos.

    My grandmother used to cook paella every Sunday.

    él/ella/usted

  • Yo cocinaba mientras tú limpiabas la mesa.

    I was cooking while you were cleaning the table.

    yo

  • De niños, cocinábamos con nuestros padres.

    As children, we used to cook with our parents.

    nosotros

Common Mistakes

  • Mistake: cocinabamos

    Correct: cocinábamos

    Why: The 'nosotros' form of -ar verbs in the imperfect always requires an accent on the first 'a' of the ending.

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