The Imperfect Tense of sufrir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Yo sufría de migrañas cuando era niño. (I used to suffer from migraines when I was a child.)

Sufrir is a regular -ir verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the regular pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Sufrir (to suffer) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The imperfect tense of sufrir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, or to set the scene for another past action.

Experiencing or enduring something unpleasant: For example, Sufría mucho con los dolores de cabeza. (I used to suffer a lot from headaches.)

Tolerating or putting up with something: For example, Sufría las bromas pesadas de sus compañeros. (He had to put up with his classmates’ mean jokes.)

Feeling pain or discomfort: For example, El paciente sufría mucho dolor. (The patient was suffering a lot of pain.)

Undergoing hardship or difficulty: For example, La familia sufría por la falta de dinero. (The family was suffering from lack of money.)

Enduring emotional distress: For example, Sufría de depresión después de la muerte de su esposa. (He suffered from depression after his wife’s death.)

Examples

Examples of Sufrir in the Imperfect Tense

Yo sufría de insomnio cuando era joven. (I used to suffer from insomnia when I was young.)

Ella sufría en silencio por la pérdida de su mascota. (She suffered in silence over the loss of her pet.)

Nosotros sufríamos las consecuencias de nuestras malas decisiones. (We suffered the consequences of our bad decisions.)

Tú sufrías de migrañas constantemente, ¿verdad? (You used to suffer from constant migraines, right?)

Ellos sufrían por la falta de oportunidades en su pueblo. (They suffered from the lack of opportunities in their town.)

Vosotros sufríais mucho con el calor sofocante del verano. (You all suffered a lot from the stifling summer heat.)

Ustedes sufrían de estrés laboral debido a las largas horas. (You all suffered from work-related stress due to the long hours.)

Él sufría en silencio la traición de su mejor amigo. (He suffered in silence from the betrayal of his best friend.)

¿Sufrías de alergias cuando eras niño? (Did you suffer from allergies when you were a child?)

Mis abuelos sufrían de artritis, pero nunca se quejaban. (My grandparents suffered from arthritis, but they never complained.)

La ciudad sufría las consecuencias de la sequía prolongada. (The city suffered the consequences of the prolonged drought.)

¿Por qué sufrías tanto en ese trabajo? (Why did you suffer so much in that job?)

Ellas sufrían de ansiedad antes de los exámenes importantes. (They used to suffer from anxiety before important exams.)

Nosotros sufríamos las burlas de los demás por ser diferentes. (We suffered the taunts of others for being different.)

Vosotros sufríais las consecuencias de vuestras acciones imprudentes. (You all suffered the consequences of your reckless actions.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Sufrir (to suffer) 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.