acababa
ah-cah-BAH-bah
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Yo siempre acababa mis tareas antes de la cena.
A2I always used to finish my homework before dinner.
Ella acababa de salir cuando sonó el teléfono.
B1She had just left when the phone rang.
La película acababa mal, por eso me entristecía.
A2The movie was ending badly, that’s why it made me sad.
💡 Grammar Points
The Imperfect Tense's Role
This form ('acababa') describes actions that were ongoing or repeated many times in the past. Think of it as 'I was finishing' or 'I used to finish'.
Using 'Acabar de'
When you see 'acababa de' followed by another verb (like 'comer'), it means the action had just happened: 'Yo acababa de comer' means 'I had just eaten'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Imperfect vs. Preterite
Mistake: "Using 'acababa' when you mean a single, completed action, like 'I finished it once' (Yo acabé)."
Correction: Use 'acababa' for habits or background actions (e.g., 'The day was ending when...'). Use 'acabó' (preterite) for one specific action that ended immediately (e.g., 'He finished the race').
⭐ Usage Tips
Setting the Scene
The imperfect tense, like 'acababa,' is perfect for setting the scene, describing what was happening before a main event occurred.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: acababa
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'acababa' to describe a repeated action in the past?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'acababa' and 'acabó'?
'Acababa' (imperfect) tells you about an action that was ongoing or repeated in the past ('I was finishing' or 'I used to finish'). 'Acabó' (preterite) tells you about a single action that was completed at a specific moment ('He finished').
Is 'acababa' the same for 'I' and 'He/She'?
Yes! In the imperfect tense, the 'yo' (I) form and the 'él/ella/usted' (he/she/you formal) form are exactly the same: 'acababa'. You need the context or the pronoun to know who is doing the action.