Three simplified, colorful storybook figures are walking along a winding dirt path toward a small, welcoming house in the distance, illustrating the continuous action of moving toward a destination.

venían

veh-NEE-ahn

verbB1irregular ir

they were coming?describing an ongoing action in the past,they used to come?describing a past habit or routine

Also:you all (formal) were coming?referring to ustedes

Quick Reference

past Participlevenido

gerundviniendo

infinitivevenir

📝 In Action

Ellos venían a mi casa todos los veranos.

They used to come to my house every summer.

Mis padres venían tarde cuando la fiesta ya terminaba.

My parents were coming late just as the party was ending.

¿Con qué frecuencia venían ustedes a este restaurante?

How often did you all (formal) used to come to this restaurant?

Cuando llegamos al cine, las luces se apagaron y la gente ya venía de salir.

When we got to the cinema, the lights went out and people were already coming out.

Word Connections

Synonyms

llegaban (they were arriving)
acudían (they were attending)

Antonyms

iban (they were going)
partían (they were leaving)

Common Collocations

venían de lejos – they were coming from far away
siempre venían juntos – they always used to come together

💡 Grammar Points

Past Routines

"Venían" uses the imperfect tense, which is perfect for describing things that happened repeatedly or were habits in the past: 'Cada martes venían' (Every Tuesday they used to come).

Setting the Scene

Use "venían" to describe a continuous action interrupted by a sudden event: 'Ellos venían caminando cuando vieron el accidente' (They were coming/walking when they saw the accident).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing Past Tenses

Mistake: "Using the preterite: *Ellos vinieron tarde todos los días.*"

Correction: Use imperfect for routine: *Ellos venían tarde todos los días.* The preterite (*vinieron*) is for a single, completed action.

⭐ Usage Tips

Remember the Accent

The accent mark on the 'í' (venían) is essential. It tells you to stress that syllable, which is characteristic of all imperfect forms of -er/-ir verbs.

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

él/ella/ustedviniera/viniese

yoviniera/viniese

ellos/ellas/ustedesvinieran/viniesen

túvinieras/vinieses

vosotrosvinierais/vinieseis

nosotrosviniéramos/viniésemos

present

él/ella/ustedvenga

yovenga

ellos/ellas/ustedesvengan

túvengas

vosotrosvengáis

nosotrosvengamos

indicative

imperfect

él/ella/ustedvenía

yovenía

ellos/ellas/ustedesvenían

túvenías

vosotrosveníais

nosotrosveníamos

present

él/ella/ustedviene

yovengo

ellos/ellas/ustedesvienen

túvienes

vosotrosvenís

nosotrosvenimos

preterite

él/ella/ustedvino

yovine

ellos/ellas/ustedesvinieron

túviniste

vosotrosvinisteis

nosotrosvinimos

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: venían

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'venían' to describe a past routine?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

venir(to come) - verb

venida(arrival/coming) - noun

bienvenido(welcome) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'venían' have an accent mark?

The accent mark is there to show you where to stress the word. All imperfect tense conjugations for -er and -ir verbs (like *venir*) require an accent mark on the 'i' to preserve the 'ee-ahn' sound pattern.

What is the difference between 'venían' and 'vinieron'?

'Venían' describes an action that was ongoing or repeated in the past ('they were coming' or 'they used to come'). 'Vinieron' (the preterite) describes a single, completed action in the past ('they came' and finished arriving).