veía
/beh-EE-ah/
I was seeing
When veía means 'I was seeing,' it describes the continuous action of seeing something over a period of time in the past.
veía(Verb)
I was seeing
?Continuous action in the past
,He/She/It was seeing
?Continuous action in the past
,I used to see
?Habitual action in the past
looked (like)
?Describing appearance in the past
📝 In Action
Cuando era niño, veía muchos dibujos animados.
A1When I was a child, I used to watch many cartoons.
Ella veía el atardecer desde la ventana cada tarde.
A2She was watching the sunset from the window every afternoon.
El hombre que yo veía en la esquina siempre tenía un perro.
B1The man whom I used to see on the corner always had a dog.
💡 Grammar Points
The Imperfect Tense's Job
'Veía' describes actions that were ongoing, repeated, or habitual in the past, like setting the scene for a story. Think of it as 'I used to see' or 'I was seeing.'
Irregular Imperfect
'Ver' is one of the very few verbs that is irregular in this tense. Notice how it keeps the 'e' from the infinitive: v-e-ía (not vía).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Imperfect vs. Preterite
Mistake: "Usando 'Vi el perro cada día.'"
Correction: Use 'Veía el perro cada día.' The Preterite ('vi') is for single, completed actions. The Imperfect ('veía') is for repeated habits.
⭐ Usage Tips
Describing Past Scenery
Use 'veía' whenever you are painting a picture of the past—what was happening in the background or what things looked like.
When veía means 'I perceived,' it refers to a mental understanding, realization, or opinion formed in the past.
veía(Verb)
I perceived
?Mental understanding or opinion
,He/She/It understood
?Mental state or realization in the past
,I viewed (as)
?Holding an opinion about something in the past
I realized
?Mental state
📝 In Action
Ella veía el problema de una manera muy diferente a mí.
B1She viewed the problem in a very different way than I did.
Yo veía que algo no iba bien en la reunión.
B2I perceived (or understood) that something wasn't going well in the meeting.
💡 Grammar Points
Verbs of Mental State
When 'ver' is used to describe an opinion, perception, or state of understanding that lasted over time in the past, we use the Imperfect ('veía').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Mental and Completed Action
Mistake: "Dices: 'Vi que era el mejor plan.'"
Correction: If you mean 'I had the ongoing feeling/belief it was the best plan,' use 'Veía que era el mejor plan.' Use 'vi' only for the sudden moment of realization.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: veía
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'veía' to describe a repeated action in the past?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'veía' have an accent mark?
The accent mark on the 'i' (ve-í-a) is necessary to break the vowel sound into two separate syllables. If it didn't have an accent, it would try to sound like one syllable, which is incorrect for this verb form.
Is 'veía' the 'yo' form or the 'él/ella/usted' form?
'Veía' is both! In the Imperfect tense, the 'yo' (I) form and the 'él/ella/usted' (he/she/you formal) form are identical. You must rely on the context or the pronoun to know who is doing the action.