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dibujar Imperfect Conjugation

dibujarto draw

A1regular -ar★★★★★
Quick answer:

The imperfect of dibujar (dibujaba, dibujabas, dibujaba, dibujábamos, dibujabais, dibujaban) describes ongoing or habitual past actions.

dibujar Imperfect Forms

yodibujaba
dibujabas
él/ella/usteddibujaba
nosotrosdibujábamos
vosotrosdibujabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesdibujaban

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect for describing what someone *used to do* or *was doing* in the past. It sets the scene or describes background actions without a defined end.

Notes on dibujar in the Imperfect

Dibujar is regular in the imperfect tense. All forms follow the standard -ar verb pattern for the imperfect.

Example Sentences

  • Cuando era niño, dibujaba todos los días.

    When I was a child, I used to draw every day.

    yo

  • Tú dibujabas mientras esperábamos.

    You were drawing while we waited.

  • El artista dibujaba con gran detalle.

    The artist was drawing with great detail.

    él/ella/usted

  • Ellos dibujaban en sus cuadernos durante la clase.

    They were drawing in their notebooks during class.

    ellos/ellas/ustedes

  • Nosotros dibujábamos el plano de la casa.

    We were drawing the house plan.

    nosotros

Common Mistakes

  • Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single, completed past action.

    Correct: Use the preterite for completed actions: 'Dibujé el cuadro' not 'Dibujaba el cuadro'.

    Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual actions, not specific finished events.

  • Mistake: Confusing the imperfect nosotros form with the preterite.

    Correct: Imperfect: 'dibujábamos'. Preterite: 'dibujamos'.

    Why: These are distinct tenses with different meanings; the '-ba-' ending signals imperfect.

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Related Tenses