Picture this: you’re telling friends about your amazing trip to the Riviera Maya, describing that perfect afternoon at Park Güell in Barcelona, or sharing stories about that incredible festival in Cartagena. That’s where the Spanish past progressive comes in handy! This tense helps you paint vivid pictures of what was happening in those memorable moments.

Understanding the Past Progressive

The past progressive (or pretérito imperfecto progresivo) is your go-to tense for describing ongoing actions in the past. Think of it as your storytelling superpower – it helps you set the scene and describe what was happening at a specific moment.

When to Use the Past Progressive

1. Describing ongoing actions:
   “Mientras estábamos bailando en el Zócalo, comenzó a llover”
   (While we were dancing in the Zócalo, it started to rain)
2. Setting a scene:
   “El sol estaba brillando sobre las pirámides de Teotihuacán”
   (The sun was shining over the pyramids of Teotihuacán)
3. Describing simultaneous actions:
   “Mientras yo estaba tomando fotos, ella estaba leyendo la guía del Museo del Prado”
   (While I was taking photos, she was reading the Prado Museum guide)

Forming the Past Progressive

It’s a combination of two parts: the imperfect form of estar + the gerund (-ando/-iendo form) of the main verb.

The Formula

• Estar in imperfect: estaba, estabas, estaba, estábamos, estabais, estaban
• -AR verbs: add -ando (caminar → caminando)
• -ER/-IR verbs: add -iendo (comer → comiendo)

Real-Life Examples

1. Travel Adventures

“Mientras estábamos visitando Chichén Itzá, los guías estaban explicando la historia maya.”
(While we were visiting Chichén Itzá, the guides were explaining Mayan history.)

2. Cultural Experiences

“La gente estaba celebrando el Carnaval de Barranquilla cuando llegué.”
(People were celebrating the Barranquilla Carnival when I arrived.)

3. Social Situations

“Estábamos comiendo tapas en La Rambla cuando nos encontramos.”
(We were eating tapas on La Rambla when we met.)

4. Professional Context

“Estaba trabajando en mi presentación sobre la Sagrada Familia cuando mi jefe me llamó.”
(I was working on my Sagrada Familia presentation when my boss called me.)

5. Tourist Activities

“Estábamos nadando en las playas de Tulum cuando vimos los delfines.”
(We were swimming at the beaches of Tulum when we saw the dolphins.)

6. Family Moments

“Mi abuela estaba cocinando paella mientras los niños estaban jugando en el Parque del Retiro.”
(My grandmother was cooking paella while the children were playing in Retiro Park.)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Don’t forget to conjugate estar:
   ❌ “Yo estar caminando por el Malecón”
   ✅ “Yo estaba caminando por el Malecón”
2. Remember irregular gerunds:
   ❌ “Estaba dormiendo en el tren a Toledo”
   ✅ “Estaba durmiendo en el tren a Toledo”
3. Don’t confuse with simple past:
   ❌ “Estaba visitando el Museo Nacional cuando estaba cerrando”
   ✅ “Estaba visitando el Museo Nacional cuando cerró”

Ready to Level Up Your Spanish?

Now that you’ve got the basics of the past progressive down, try using it in your own stories! Whether you’re describing your latest adventure in the Yucatán Peninsula, sharing memories of wandering through the streets of Madrid, or telling stories about that amazing festival in Medellín, this tense will help you paint vivid pictures of what was happening in those special moments. ¡A practicar!