How to Say "was searching" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “was searching” is “buscaba” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Yo buscaba mis gafas cuando sonó el teléfono.
I was looking for my glasses when the phone rang.
Ella siempre buscaba la manera de ayudar a los demás.
She always used to look for a way to help others.
¿Qué buscaba usted en ese cajón?
What were you (formal) looking for in that drawer?
Who Does the Action?
'Buscaba' can mean 'I was looking,' 'He was looking,' 'She was looking,' or 'You (formal) were looking.' Context or the use of 'yo' or 'él/ella/usted' is needed to know who is doing the action.
The Imperfect Tense's Job
The imperfect tense (like 'buscaba') describes actions that were happening continuously in the past ('was searching') or actions that happened repeatedly or habitually ('used to search').
Imperfect vs. Preterite
Mistake: “Using 'busqué' (I looked, one time) when you mean 'buscaba' (I was looking, ongoing).”
Correction: Use 'buscaba' when setting the scene or describing a long period of searching. Use 'busqué' only for a single, completed moment.
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