salía
sah-LEE-ah
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Todos los veranos, mi familia salía de vacaciones a la costa.
A1Every summer, my family used to go out on vacation to the coast.
Ella salía del cine cuando la llamaste.
A2She was leaving the movie theater when you called her.
El sol salía temprano en esa época del año.
B1The sun used to come out early at that time of year.
💡 Grammar Points
The Imperfect Tense's Job
'Salía' is the verb form you use to paint the background scene in the past. It shows actions that happened repeatedly (habits) or actions that were ongoing and continuous.
Who is 'Salía'?
This form works for three subjects: 'yo' (I), 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), and 'usted' (the formal 'you'). The accent on the 'i' is essential to keep the correct sound.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Preterite vs. Imperfect
Mistake: "Using 'salió' (he left, one time) when you mean 'salía' (he used to leave, many times)."
Correction: Use 'salía' when you are describing a routine, like 'Ella salía a correr cada mañana' (She used to go out running every morning).
⭐ Usage Tips
Think 'Used To' or 'Was -ing'
If you can translate the sentence into English using 'used to' or 'was leaving,' you almost certainly need the imperfect form 'salía'.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: salía
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'salía' to describe a past routine?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'salía' have an accent mark?
The accent on the 'i' (sal**í**a) is necessary to ensure the 'i' and 'a' are pronounced as two separate syllables (sa-lí-a), not blended into one. This pattern is standard for almost all imperfect tense conjugations of -er and -ir verbs.
Is 'salía' used more for 'I' or 'he/she'?
It is used equally for 'yo' (I) and for 'él/ella/usted' (he/she/formal you). You must rely on the context or the subject pronoun to know who is performing the action.