trabajaba
“trabajaba” means “I used to work” in Spanish (First person singular (Yo)).
I used to work, he/she/it was workingAlso: worked (habitually in the past)
📝 In Action
Cuando era niño, mi padre trabajaba en una fábrica.
A2When he was a child, my father used to work in a factory.
Yo trabajaba desde casa antes de la pandemia.
B1I was working from home before the pandemic.
Usted trabajaba aquí, ¿verdad?
A1You (formal) used to work here, right?
Word Connections
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: trabajaba
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'trabajaba' to describe a continuous background action?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
📚 Etymology
From the Latin word *tripaliare*, meaning 'to torture' or 'to toil under difficulty.' This reflects the historical view of work as demanding effort, derived from *tripalium*, a device used for restraint or punishment.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'trabajaba' and 'trabajó'?
'Trabajaba' (Imperfect) describes past actions that were continuous, repeated habits, or background descriptions (e.g., 'I used to work there'). 'Trabajó' (Preterite) describes a single, completed action in the past (e.g., 'He worked for eight hours yesterday').