The Imperfect Tense of permitir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Mis padres me permitían salir con mis amigos los fines de semana. (My parents allowed me to go out with my friends on weekends.)
Permitir is a regular -ir verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the standard pattern for this verb type.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Permitir (to permit) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | permitía |
| Tú | permitías |
| Él / Ella / Usted | permitía |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | permitíamos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | permitíais |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | permitían |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Permitir (to permit) in the Imperfect Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Permitir in the Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense of permitir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.
To allow or permit: Por ejemplo, mis padres no me permitían salir tarde cuando era joven. (My parents didn’t allow me to go out late when I was young.)
To enable or make possible: Por ejemplo, el buen tiempo nos permitía pasar más tiempo al aire libre. (The good weather allowed us to spend more time outdoors.)
To tolerate or put up with (colloquial): Por ejemplo, no permitía que nadie me faltara al respeto. (I didn’t allow anyone to disrespect me.)
Examples
Examples of Permitir in the Imperfect Tense
Mis padres no me permitían salir con amigos después de las 10 pm. (My parents didn’t allow me to go out with friends after 10 pm.)
El profesor permitía el uso de calculadoras durante los exámenes. (The teacher allowed the use of calculators during exams.)
La política de la empresa no permitía fumar dentro de las instalaciones. (The company policy didn’t allow smoking inside the facilities.)
Cuando era niño, mi abuela permitía que jugara en el patio trasero. (When I was a child, my grandmother allowed me to play in the backyard.)
El guardia de seguridad no permitía la entrada sin una identificación válida. (The security guard didn’t allow entry without a valid ID.)
En aquel entonces, la ley permitía el consumo de alcohol a partir de los 18 años. (Back then, the law allowed alcohol consumption from the age of 18.)
Vosotros permitíais que vuestros hijos vieran demasiada televisión. (You (plural) allowed your children to watch too much TV.)
El entrenador permitía descansos cortos durante el entrenamiento intensivo. (The coach allowed short breaks during the intense training.)
La aplicación no permitía subir archivos de más de 10 MB. (The app didn’t allow uploading files larger than 10 MB.)
Ustedes permitían que sus mascotas durmieran en la cama. (You (plural) allowed your pets to sleep on the bed.)
El museo permitía tomar fotografías sin flash. (The museum allowed taking photos without flash.)
Ella permitía que sus hijos exploraran su creatividad. (She allowed her children to explore their creativity.)
El jefe permitía trabajar desde casa un día a la semana. (The boss allowed working from home one day a week.)
Nosotros permitíamos que nuestros invitados fumaran en el patio. (We allowed our guests to smoke in the patio.)
El parque nacional permitía acampar en áreas designadas. (The national park allowed camping in designated areas.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Permitir (to permit) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo permitía | I was permitting |
| Tú permitías | You were permitting |
| Él / Ella / Usted permitía | He / She / You (formal) was permitting |
| Nosotros / Nosotras permitíamos | We were permitting |
| Vosotros / Vosotras permitíais | You all were permitting |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes permitían | They / You all (formal) were permitting |
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.