íbamos
“íbamos” means “we were going” in Spanish (describing an action in progress in the past).
we were going, we used to go
Also: we would go
📝 In Action
Cuando éramos pequeños, íbamos a la casa de la abuela todos los domingos.
A2When we were little, we used to go to Grandma's house every Sunday.
Íbamos en coche por la autopista cuando vimos el accidente.
B1We were going/driving on the highway when we saw the accident.
No sabíamos dónde íbamos, solo seguíamos el mapa antiguo.
A2We didn't know where we were going, we were just following the old map.
Antes del trabajo, siempre íbamos a tomar un café juntos.
B1Before work, we always went/used to go grab a coffee together.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: íbamos
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'íbamos' to describe a past habit?
📚 More Resources
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'ir' comes directly from the Latin verb *ire*, meaning 'to go'. However, the imperfect forms like 'íbamos' actually borrowed their structure from the Latin verb *vadere* (to walk/to go), which is why they look so different from the rest of the conjugations.
First recorded: Old Spanish (around 10th-11th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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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.