The Imperfect Tense of acercarse is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past, for example, Me acercaba a la ventana para ver el atardecer. (I used to approach the window to see the sunset.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Acercarse (to approach) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

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

To approach or get closer (physically): Por ejemplo, me acercaba a la puerta para escuchar mejor. (I was approaching the door to hear better.)

To get closer (figuratively): Por ejemplo, se acercaba el final del año. (The end of the year was approaching.)

To get closer (emotionally or socially): Por ejemplo, nos acercábamos más como amigos. (We were getting closer as friends.)

To approach or get near (in a rude or threatening way): Por ejemplo, el tipo se me acercaba de forma amenazante. (The guy was approaching me in a threatening way.)

Examples

Examples of Acercarse in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, siempre me acercaba a la ventana para ver la lluvia caer. (When I was a child, I would always approach the window to watch the rain fall.)

Ella se acercaba lentamente a la puerta, con miedo de lo que pudiera encontrar al otro lado. (She was slowly approaching the door, afraid of what she might find on the other side.)

En la fiesta, nos acercábamos a los grupos de gente para intentar entablar conversación. (At the party, we would approach groups of people to try to start a conversation.)

Aunque se acercaban las vacaciones, los empleados seguían trabajando duro. (Even though the holidays were approaching, the employees kept working hard.)

Cada vez que me acercaba a la barra, el cantinero ya tenía mi bebida lista. (Whenever I approached the bar, the bartender already had my drink ready.)

El equipo de fútbol se acercaba al campo con determinación antes de cada partido. (The soccer team would approach the field with determination before every game.)

Aunque te acercabas con buenas intenciones, tu presencia a veces resultaba intimidante. (Even though you approached with good intentions, your presence was sometimes intimidating.)

Cuando se acercaban las elecciones, los candidatos intensificaban sus campañas. (As the elections approached, the candidates intensified their campaigns.)

En la oficina, me acercaba a mis compañeros para pedirles consejo sobre proyectos difíciles. (At the office, I would approach my colleagues to ask for advice on difficult projects.)

Cada vez que se acercaba un desconocido, mi perro comenzaba a ladrar. (Whenever a stranger approached, my dog would start barking.)

Aunque nos acercábamos con cautela, el animal salvaje no parecía asustado. (Even though we approached cautiously, the wild animal didn’t seem scared.)

Cuando te acercabas demasiado, siempre podía sentir tu aliento cálido en mi cara. (Whenever you approached too close, I could always feel your warm breath on my face.)

En la playa, los niños se acercaban a la orilla para jugar con las olas. (At the beach, the children would approach the shoreline to play in the waves.)

Aunque me acercaba con buenas intenciones, a veces mi curiosidad era mal interpretada. (Even though I approached with good intentions, sometimes my curiosity was misinterpreted.)

Cada vez que se acercaba el final del mes, mi presupuesto se ponía ajustado. (Whenever the end of the month approached, my budget would get tight.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Acercarse (to approach) 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.