suponía
/soo-poh-NEE-ah/
I supposed
This image visualizes the mental state of 'I supposed,' showing someone deep in thought forming a hypothesis.
suponía(Verb)
I supposed
?1st person past mental state
,He/She assumed
?3rd person past mental state
used to think
?habitual past belief
,was supposing
?ongoing past action
📝 In Action
Yo suponía que el tren salía a las tres.
A2I assumed the train left at three o'clock.
Ella suponía que vivir en la capital era más emocionante.
B1She used to suppose that living in the capital was more exciting.
Usted suponía que todo iba a ser fácil, ¿verdad?
B1You (formal) were supposing that everything was going to be easy, right?
💡 Grammar Points
Yo vs. Él/Ella/Usted
In the imperfect tense, 'suponía' is the verb form used for both 'I' (yo) and 'He/She/You formal' (él/ella/usted). Context or the subject pronoun usually tells you who is doing the action.
The Imperfect Tense's Role
This tense ('suponía') describes a state of mind or a belief that was ongoing or habitual in the past, like 'I used to assume' or 'I was assuming,' without focusing on when the assumption ended.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Imperfect and Preterite
Mistake: "Using 'supuse' (I assumed—a single, completed action) when you mean 'suponía' (I used to assume—an ongoing belief)."
Correction: 'Supuse que estaba en casa' means 'I suddenly assumed he was home.' 'Suponía que estaba en casa' means 'I had been assuming he was home.'
⭐ Usage Tips
Guessing in the Past
Use 'suponía' when you are describing what you thought was true, but later found out was false. It sets the scene for a past error.
The connection between the main wheel and the necessary items shows how a task 'involved' requirements.
suponía(Verb)
It involved
?3rd person past requirement
,It entailed
?3rd person past consequence
It meant
?past implication
📝 In Action
El viaje suponía una inversión de tiempo considerable.
B2The trip involved a considerable investment of time.
La nueva ley suponía un cambio drástico para la industria.
C1The new law entailed a drastic change for the industry.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'Suponía' for Consequences
When used impersonally (with 'it' or a concept as the subject), 'suponía' explains what a past event or situation required or brought about.
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal Language
This meaning of 'suponía' is often used when describing complex situations or historical events in a more formal or written style.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: suponía
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'suponía' to describe an ongoing past belief?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if 'suponía' means 'I assumed' or 'He/She assumed'?
You usually figure this out from the context of the conversation or by looking at the subject pronoun (Yo, Él, Ella, Usted). If no subject is present, the surrounding verbs or nouns will usually make it clear who is being discussed.
Is 'suponer' a difficult verb to conjugate?
'Suponer' is considered irregular because it follows the pattern of 'poner' (to put), which has changes in the preterite ('supuse') and future/conditional ('supondré'). However, the imperfect tense ('suponía') is very regular, making this specific form easy to remember.