How to Say "was referring" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “was referring” is “refería” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Ella siempre se refería a su abuela como 'la jefa'.
She always referred to her grandmother as 'the boss'.
¿A qué hora refería él el informe a la junta?
At what time was he referring the report to the board?
Cuando me refería a 'el otro día', hablaba de la semana pasada.
When I was referring to 'the other day,' I was talking about last week.
The Imperfect Tense's Job
The imperfect tense ('refería') paints a picture of the past. It shows continuous actions, habits, or descriptions, unlike the preterite tense, which marks a completed, single action.
Common Reflexive Use
In Spanish, we usually add 'se' (se refería) when talking about referring to something or someone. This is the most common way you will hear and use this verb.
Confusing Past Tenses
Mistake: “Using 'refirió' (preterite) when describing a repeated action: 'Cada día refirió el tema.'”
Correction: Use the imperfect for repeated actions: 'Cada día refería el tema.' (Every day, he/she used to refer to the topic.)
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