How to Say "was remaining" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “was remaining” is “quedaba” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Después de la cena, solo quedaba un trozo de pastel.
After dinner, only one piece of cake was left.
Ella siempre se quedaba callada cuando su padre hablaba.
She always remained quiet when her father spoke.
Yo quedaba muy poco tiempo para terminar el proyecto.
I had very little time remaining to finish the project. (Used with 'yo')
The Imperfect Tense
This 'aba' ending means the action was ongoing or repeated in the past. Think of it like 'was remaining' or 'used to remain,' describing a situation without saying exactly when it ended.
Yo vs. Él/Ella/Usted
In the imperfect tense, 'quedaba' is used for both 'I' (yo) and 'he/she/you formal' (él/ella/usted). Context is key to knowing who is doing the action.
Using Preterite for Ongoing States
Mistake: “Quedó poco tiempo. (Used 'quedó', completed action)”
Correction: Quedaba poco tiempo. (Use 'quedaba' to show the continuous state of having little time.)
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.