quejarse Imperfect Conjugation
quejarse — to complain
The imperfect of quejarse is regular: me quejaba, te quejabas, se quejaba, nos quejábamos, os quejabais, se quejaban.
quejarse Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense to describe ongoing or habitual complaining in the past, or to set the scene. It describes what someone 'used to do' or 'was doing'.
Notes on quejarse in the Imperfect
Quejarse is regular in the imperfect tense. Remember to include the reflexive pronoun.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, me quejaba de ir a la cama temprano.
When I was a child, I used to complain about going to bed early.
yo
Te quejabas mucho de tus hermanos, ¿verdad?
You used to complain a lot about your siblings, right?
tú
Ella se quejaba constantemente del ruido de la calle.
She constantly complained about the street noise.
Ellos se quejaban porque la película era muy larga.
They were complaining because the movie was very long.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Forgetting the reflexive pronoun.
Correct: Always include the reflexive pronoun: 'me quejaba', 'te quejabas', 'se quejaba', etc.
Why: 'Quejarse' is reflexive, and the pronoun must agree with the subject.
Mistake: Using the imperfect when a completed action in the past is described.
Correct: For a specific, finished complaint, use the preterite: 'Ayer se quejó' (Yesterday he complained).
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, not single, completed events.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'quejarse' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: me quejo
The present tense of quejarse is regular: me quejo, te quejas, se queja, nos quejamos, os quejáis, se quejan.
Preterite
yo: me quejé
The preterite of quejarse is regular: me quejé, te quejaste, se quejó, nos quejamos, os quejasteis, se quejaron.
Future
yo: me quejaré
The future tense of quejarse is regular: me quejaré, te quejarás, se quejará, nos quejaremos, os quejaréis, se quejarán.
Conditional
yo: me quejaría
The conditional of quejarse is regular: me quejaría, te quejarías, se quejaría, nos quejaríamos, os quejaríais, se quejarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: me queje
Use me queje, te quejes, se queje, nos quejemos, os quejéis, se quejen after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion with quejarse.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: me quejara
Use me quejara/quejase, te quejaras/quejases, etc., for past hypothetical situations or wishes with quejarse.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: quéjate
Use quéjate, quéjese, quéjense, quejaos, quejémonos for direct commands with quejarse.
Negative Imperative
yo: no te quejes
Use no te quejes, no se queje, no se quejen, no os quejéis, no nos quejemos for negative commands with quejarse.