Inklingo
A child sits alone on a park bench, hugging a teddy bear and looking wistfully at an empty swing set, illustrating the feeling of absence and longing.

extrañar Imperfect Conjugation

extrañarto miss

A1regular -ar★★★★★
Quick answer:

The imperfect of extrañar uses the standard -aba endings: extrañaba, extrañabas, extrañaba, extrañábamos, extrañabais, extrañaban.

extrañar Imperfect Forms

yoextrañaba
extrañabas
él/ella/ustedextrañaba
nosotrosextrañábamos
vosotrosextrañabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesextrañaban

When to Use the Imperfect

This is the most common tense for extrañar. Use it to describe a continuous feeling of missing someone in the past or a habitual nostalgia.

Notes on extrañar in the Imperfect

Extrañar is regular in the imperfect. Note the accent on the 'nosotros' form (extrañábamos).

Example Sentences

  • Cuando vivía en Londres, extrañaba el café de mi barrio.

    When I lived in London, I used to miss the coffee from my neighborhood.

    yo

  • Nosotros extrañábamos a nuestros abuelos todos los días.

    We missed our grandparents every day.

    nosotros

  • Ustedes extrañaban viajar, ¿verdad?

    You guys missed traveling, right?

    ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

  • Mistake: Using the preterite for a long-term feeling of missing someone.

    Correct: Use the imperfect (extrañaba) instead of extrañé.

    Why: Emotions in the past are usually viewed as ongoing states rather than completed actions.

Master Spanish verbs in context

Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'extrañar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.

Related Tenses