The Imperfect Tense of decir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Yo decía la verdad. (I used to tell the truth.)

Decir is a standard Spanish verb that follows the regular -ía conjugation pattern in the Imperfect Tense.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Decir (to say, tell) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The imperfect tense of decir is used to describe ongoing, repeated, or habitual actions in the past, as well as to set the scene or describe characteristics.

Expressing ongoing actions in the past: For example, Yo decía la verdad (I was telling the truth).

Describing repeated or habitual actions: For example, Ella me decía que estudiara más (She used to tell me to study more).

Setting the scene or describing characteristics: For example, Era un hombre que decía las cosas sin rodeos (He was a man who spoke bluntly).

Expressing age: For example, Cuando era niño, me decían que comiera todas mis verduras (When I was a child, they used to tell me to eat all my vegetables).

Expressing time: For example, A las cinco, ella me decía que ya era hora de irnos (At five o’clock, she would tell me it was time to go).

Expressing uncertainty or doubt: For example, No sé, me decía que no vendría (I don’t know, he was telling me he wouldn’t come).

Expressing wishes or desires: For example, Siempre me decía que quería viajar por el mundo (He always used to tell me he wanted to travel the world).

Expressing emotions or states of being: For example, Ella me decía que estaba triste (She used to tell me she was sad).

Expressing courtesy or politeness: For example, Me decía que por favor cerrara la puerta (He would tell me to please close the door).

Expressing reported speech: For example, Mi madre me decía que no saliera tarde (My mother used to tell me not to go out late).

Expressing idiomatic or colloquial usage: For example, ¿Qué me decías? (What were you saying?), used to ask someone to repeat what they said.

Examples

Examples of Decir in the Imperfect Tense

Yo decía la verdad, pero nadie me creía. (I was telling the truth, but nobody believed me.)

Ellos decían que iban a venir, pero al final no aparecieron. (They were saying they would come, but in the end they didn’t show up.)

¿Qué decías? No te escuché bien. (What were you saying? I didn’t hear you well.)

Mi abuela siempre decía que hay que comer frutas y verduras. (My grandmother always used to say that you have to eat fruits and vegetables.)

Nosotros decíamos que íbamos a estudiar, pero en realidad nos la pasábamos viendo televisión. (We were saying that we were going to study, but in reality we spent our time watching TV.)

Tú decías que no te gustaba esa película, pero al final te encantó. (You were saying that you didn’t like that movie, but in the end you loved it.)

Ella decía que no tenía hambre, pero después se comió todo el plato. (She was saying she wasn’t hungry, but then she ate the whole plate.)

Vosotros decíais que ibais a llegar temprano, pero llegasteis tarde. (You guys were saying you would arrive early, but you arrived late.)

Ustedes decían que no iban a salir, pero los vi en el parque. (You were saying you weren’t going out, but I saw you at the park.)

Mis amigos decían que la fiesta iba a estar aburrida, pero la verdad es que la pasamos muy bien. (My friends were saying the party was going to be boring, but the truth is we had a great time.)

El profesor decía que el examen iba a ser difícil, pero al final no lo fue tanto. (The teacher was saying the exam was going to be difficult, but in the end it wasn’t that bad.)

Yo decía que no me gustaba el fútbol, pero después de ver un partido me enganchó. (I was saying I didn’t like soccer, but after watching a game I got hooked.)

Ellas decían que no iban a poder venir, pero al final sí pudieron. (They were saying they wouldn’t be able to come, but in the end they could.)

Tú decías que no querías ir de vacaciones, pero ahora estás deseando irte. (You were saying you didn’t want to go on vacation, but now you can’t wait to go.)

Vosotros decíais que no os gustaba la comida mexicana, pero os encantaron los tacos que probasteis. (You were saying you didn’t like Mexican food, but you loved the tacos you tried.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Decir (to say, tell) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.