The Imperfect Tense of recordar is used to describe actions or states that were ongoing or repeated in the past, for example, Recordaba las vacaciones de mi infancia. (I remembered/used to remember the vacations of my childhood.)

Recordar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Recordar (to remember) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The imperfect tense of recordar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.

Remembering or recalling something in the past: Por ejemplo, yo recordaba las vacaciones de mi infancia (I remembered the vacations of my childhood). This usage often implies a sense of nostalgia or fond memories.

Describing a habitual or repeated action in the past: For example, de niño, siempre recordaba apagar las luces antes de salir (as a child, I always remembered to turn off the lights before leaving). This usage highlights a routine or habit from the past.

Expressing an ongoing state or description in the past: For example, recordaba lo mucho que me gustaba ese libro (I remembered how much I liked that book). This usage conveys a continuous feeling or state of mind in the past.

Colloquial or idiomatic usage: In some contexts, recordar can be used informally to mean “to mention” or “to bring up,” as in ¿recuerdas cuando fuimos a la playa? (do you remember when we went to the beach?). It can also be used in a rude or sarcastic way, like ¡recuerda cerrar la boca cuando termines de hablar! (remember to close your mouth when you’re done talking!).

Examples

Examples of Recordar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo recordaba con cariño los días de mi infancia. (I fondly remembered the days of my childhood.)

Ella recordaba haber dejado las llaves en la mesa. (She remembered having left the keys on the table.)

Nosotros recordábamos las vacaciones del año pasado con nostalgia. (We remembered last year’s vacation with nostalgia.)

Tú recordabas la receta de tu abuela a la perfección. (You remembered your grandmother’s recipe perfectly.)

Ustedes recordaban la dirección del restaurante que visitamos. (You remembered the address of the restaurant we visited.)

Vosotros recordabais el camino hacia la playa con facilidad. (You remembered the way to the beach easily.)

Él recordaba haber visto esa película de niño. (He remembered having seen that movie as a child.)

Ellos recordaban los buenos momentos con su abuelo. (They remembered the good times with their grandfather.)

Yo recordaba la canción que mi madre me cantaba de pequeño. (I remembered the song my mother used to sing to me when I was little.)

Tú recordabas el nombre de tu profesor favorito. (You remembered the name of your favorite teacher.)

Ella recordaba haber comprado ese vestido en las rebajas. (She remembered having bought that dress on sale.)

Nosotros recordábamos el sabor de los dulces que comíamos de niños. (We remembered the taste of the candies we ate as children.)

Ustedes recordaban el camino a la escuela con facilidad. (You easily remembered the way to school.)

Vosotros recordabais las reglas del juego que solíamos jugar. (You remembered the rules of the game we used to play.)

Ellos recordaban los consejos de sus padres con cariño. (They fondly remembered their parents’ advice.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Recordar (to remember) 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.