A colorful storybook illustration of a smiling child standing outdoors, actively talking with their mouth open, with simple graphic lines indicating the sound of speech moving away from them.

hablaba

ah-BLAH-bah

VerbA2regular ar

I was speaking/talking?Continuous action in the past (yo form),he/she was speaking/talking?Continuous action in the past (él/ella form),I used to speak/talk?Habitual action in the past (yo form)

Also:you were speaking/talking (formal)?Continuous action in the past (usted form),he/she would speak/talk?Past repeated action

Quick Reference

infinitivehablar

gerundhablando

past Participlehablado

📝 In Action

Cuando era niño, yo hablaba con mis juguetes.

When I was little, I used to talk to my toys.

Ella hablaba por teléfono mientras yo cocinaba.

She was talking on the phone while I was cooking.

Usted hablaba muy rápido, no entendí nada.

You were speaking very fast; I didn't understand anything.

El profesor siempre hablaba de historia antigua.

The professor always spoke about ancient history.

Word Connections

Synonyms

conversar (to converse)
charlar (to chat)

Antonyms

callar (to shut up)
escuchar (to listen)

Common Collocations

hablaba en voz baja – was speaking in a low voice
siempre hablaba de – always used to talk about

💡 Grammar Points

Dual Subject Usage

This exact form ('hablaba') can mean 'I was speaking' (yo) OR 'He/She/You (formal) was speaking' (él/ella/usted). You need context or the subject pronoun to know who is doing the action.

The 'Imperfect' Function

The imperfect tense (hablaba) is used for actions that were ongoing, repeated habits, or descriptions of a state in the past (like setting the scene). Think of it as 'was talking' or 'used to talk'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing Past Tenses

Mistake: "Usando 'Yo hablé' cuando se refiere a un hábito (I spoke [once] when I meant I used to speak)."

Correction: Use 'hablaba' (imperfect) for habits and continuous actions: 'Yo hablaba mucho de pequeño.' Use 'hablé' (preterite) for a single, finished action: 'Ayer hablé con mi jefe.'

⭐ Usage Tips

Setting the Scene

Use 'hablaba' and other imperfect verbs to describe the background, weather, or emotions when a main event (often using the preterite tense) happened: 'Ella hablaba tranquilamente (background) cuando el teléfono sonó (main event).'

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedhabla

yohablo

túhablas

ellos/ellas/ustedeshablan

nosotroshablamos

vosotroshabláis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedhablaba

yohablaba

túhablabas

ellos/ellas/ustedeshablaban

nosotroshablábamos

vosotroshablabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedhabló

yohablé

túhablaste

ellos/ellas/ustedeshablaron

nosotroshablamos

vosotroshablasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedhable

yohable

túhables

ellos/ellas/ustedeshablen

nosotroshablemos

vosotroshabléis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedhablara

yohablara

túhablaras

ellos/ellas/ustedeshablaran

nosotroshabláramos

vosotroshablarais

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: hablaba

Question 1 of 1

Which English phrase best captures the meaning of 'Cuando yo hablaba, él no escuchaba'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

hablar(to speak/talk) - verb

habla(speech/language) - noun

hablador(talkative person) - adjective/noun

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if 'hablaba' means 'I spoke' or 'he spoke'?

You must rely on context or explicitly include the subject pronoun. If the sentence is 'Mi padre hablaba...' it means 'He spoke.' If the sentence is 'Yo hablaba...' it means 'I spoke.' If the pronoun is missing, the context of the conversation usually makes it clear.

Is 'hablaba' used for a single, completed action?

No. 'Hablaba' (imperfect) is for repeated actions (I used to talk) or ongoing actions (I was talking). For a single, finished action, you must use the preterite tense: 'Hablé' (I spoke once) or 'Habló' (He/She spoke once).