A colorful storybook illustration of three stylized figures (two small children and one adult) walking together down a simple path, all appearing mid-stride and moving forward.

íbamos

EE-bah-mohs

VerbA2irregular ir

we were going?describing an action in progress in the past,we used to go?describing a past habit or routine

Also:we would go?describing a past routine

Quick Reference

infinitiveir

gerundyendo

past Participleido

📝 In Action

Cuando éramos pequeños, íbamos a la casa de la abuela todos los domingos.

When we were little, we used to go to Grandma's house every Sunday.

Íbamos en coche por la autopista cuando vimos el accidente.

We were going/driving on the highway when we saw the accident.

No sabíamos dónde íbamos, solo seguíamos el mapa antiguo.

We didn't know where we were going, we were just following the old map.

Antes del trabajo, siempre íbamos a tomar un café juntos.

Before work, we always went/used to go grab a coffee together.

Word Connections

Synonyms

marchar (to walk/to leave)
dirigirse (to head toward)

Antonyms

veníamos (we were coming)

Common Collocations

íbamos a salir – we were about to leave
íbamos juntos – we used to go together

💡 Grammar Points

Past Routine

Use 'íbamos' (the imperfect tense) when talking about actions you and others did repeatedly in the past, like 'We used to go to the beach every summer.'

Ongoing Action

Use 'íbamos' to describe an action that was in progress when something else happened: 'We were going home when the storm hit.'

❌ Common Pitfalls

Imperfect vs. Simple Past

Mistake: "Using 'fuimos' (the simple past) for a routine: 'Fuimos al parque cada día' (We went to the park every day)."

Correction: Use 'íbamos' for routines: 'Íbamos al parque cada día.' The simple past ('fuimos') is only for a single, completed trip.

⭐ Usage Tips

Irregular Imperfect

The verb 'ir' (to go) is one of only three Spanish verbs that are irregular in this past tense (imperfect). Just remember the pattern: 'iba, ibas, íbamos...'

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedva

yovoy

túvas

ellos/ellas/ustedesvan

nosotrosvamos

vosotrosvais

imperfect

él/ella/ustediba

yoiba

túibas

ellos/ellas/ustedesiban

nosotrosíbamos

vosotrosibais

preterite

él/ella/ustedfue

yofui

túfuiste

ellos/ellas/ustedesfueron

nosotrosfuimos

vosotrosfuisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedvaya

yovaya

túvayas

ellos/ellas/ustedesvayan

nosotrosvayamos

vosotrosvayáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedfuera

yofuera

túfueras

ellos/ellas/ustedesfueran

nosotrosfuéramos

vosotrosfuerais

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: íbamos

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'íbamos' to describe a past habit?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

ir(to go) - verb

ida(trip/departure (noun)) - noun

vamos(we go/let's go) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'íbamos' and 'fuimos'?

'Íbamos' (imperfect) tells you what you were doing repeatedly or continuously in the past ('We used to go'). 'Fuimos' (simple past) tells you about a single, finished trip ('We went once').

Why is 'íbamos' spelled with an accent mark?

The accent mark on the 'i' is necessary to keep the stress on that syllable (EE-bah-mohs). All 'nosotros' forms of the imperfect ending in '-ábamos' or '-íamos' need this accent to follow Spanish pronunciation rules.