enterar Imperfect Conjugation

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect of 'enterar' to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past related to finding things out, or to set the background scene. 'Cuando era niño, me enteraba de todo por mi abuela' means 'When I was a child, I used to find out everything from my grandmother.'

Notes on enterar in the Imperfect

Enterar is regular in the imperfect indicative tense.

Example Sentences

• Antes, me enteraba de los chismes en el trabajo.

  Before, I used to find out the gossip at work.

  yo

• Tú te enterabas de todo porque escuchabas mucho.

  You used to find out about everything because you listened a lot.

  tú

• Ella se enteraba de los secretos familiares.

  She would find out the family secrets.

  él/ella/usted

• Ellos se enteraban de las noticias por la radio.

  They used to find out the news from the radio.

  ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Using the preterite ('me enteré') when describing a habitual or ongoing past action of finding out.

  Correct: For habitual past actions, use the imperfect: 'Me enteraba de todo' (I used to find out everything).

  Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or repeated actions in the past, setting a scene or describing habits, while the preterite describes completed, single events.

Related Tenses