hacía
/ah-SEE-ah/
was doing / was making
Hacía (I/she/he was doing/making) is used to describe an action that was ongoing in the past, like a child doing homework.
hacía(Verb)
was doing / was making
?describing an ongoing action in the past
used to do / used to make
?describing a habitual or repeated action in the past
📝 In Action
Yo hacía mi tarea cuando mi mamá llegó.
A2I was doing my homework when my mom arrived.
¿Qué hacías en la cocina?
A2What were you doing in the kitchen?
Mi abuela siempre hacía galletas los domingos.
B1My grandmother always used to make cookies on Sundays.
💡 Grammar Points
Describing Past Actions in Progress
Hacía is a form of hacer used for the past. It describes what was happening or what someone used to do over a period of time, rather than a single completed event. Think of it as setting the scene in a story.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing `hacía` with `hizo`
Mistake: "Ayer, mi amigo me hacía una visita."
Correction: Ayer, mi amigo me hizo una visita. Use `hizo` for a completed action that happened once. Use `hacía` to describe something that was in progress or happened repeatedly, like 'Mi amigo me hacía una visita cada mes' (My friend used to visit me every month).
⭐ Usage Tips
Setting the Scene
Use hacía to paint a picture of the background of a story. For example, 'Yo hacía la cena, los niños jugaban y la música sonaba.' (I was making dinner, the kids were playing, and the music was playing.)
When describing past weather, hacía (it was) is used, as in Hacía frío (It was cold).
📝 In Action
Hacía mucho frío ayer.
A1It was very cold yesterday.
Hacía sol, así que fuimos al parque.
A2It was sunny, so we went to the park.
No salimos porque hacía mal tiempo.
A2We didn't go out because the weather was bad.
💡 Grammar Points
Always the Same Form for Weather
When talking about the weather, you only use this specific form: hacía. It never changes to match a person, so you don't say 'yo hacía frío'. It's always just 'hacía frío' (it was cold).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using `ser` or `estar` for Weather
Mistake: "Estaba frío ayer."
Correction: Hacía frío ayer. In Spanish, we use the verb `hacer` to describe the general weather conditions like temperature or sun. Think of it as 'the weather was making coldness'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Learn as a Chunk
It's easiest to learn weather phrases as complete chunks: 'hacía frío', 'hacía calor', 'hacía sol'. This way, you won't be tempted to use another verb.
Hacía (it had been) is used in Spanish to talk about how long something had been happening before another past event, representing the duration of time.
hacía(Verb)
it had been...
?expressing a duration of time before something else happened in the past
ago
?used in phrases like 'since a long time ago'
📝 In Action
Hacía tres años que no la veía.
B1It had been three years since I had seen her. (or: I hadn't seen her for three years.)
Hacía mucho tiempo que esperábamos ese momento.
B1We had been waiting for that moment for a long time.
Se mudó a Chile hacía diez años.
B2He moved to Chile ten years ago.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Hacía... que' Formula
This structure is super useful. Use 'Hacía + [time] + que + [another verb in the same past tense]' to say that an action had been happening for a certain amount of time. For example, 'Hacía dos horas que esperaba' (I had been waiting for two hours).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the Wrong Tense
Mistake: "Hacía dos años que no la vi."
Correction: Hacía dos años que no la veía. When you start with `hacía`, the verb that follows the `que` usually stays in the same descriptive past tense. Both parts describe the ongoing situation in the past.
⭐ Usage Tips
Contrast with 'Desde hace'
Use hace for time leading up to the present ('Vivo aquí desde hace 5 años' - I've lived here for 5 years). Use hacía for time leading up to a moment in the past ('Vivía allí desde hacía 5 años' - I had been living there for 5 years).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: hacía
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'hacía' to describe the weather?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'hacía' and 'hacia' (without the accent)?
Great question! The accent mark changes everything. `Hacía` (with an accent) is the past tense of the verb 'to do/make', meaning 'was doing' or 'it was' for weather. `Hacia` (no accent) is a completely different word that means 'toward' or 'around', like 'Camino hacia el parque' (I'm walking toward the park).
Why is 'hacía' used for both 'I was doing' and 'he/she was doing'?
You've noticed something important about this verb tense! In the 'imperfect' past tense, the forms for 'yo' (I) and 'él/ella/usted' (he/she/you formal) are the same for all verbs. So, 'yo hacía' and 'él hacía' look identical. You'll know who is doing the action from the context of the conversation.