The Imperfect Tense of mirarse is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past, for example, Me miraba en el espejo todas las mañanas. (I used to look at myself in the mirror every morning.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Mirarse (to look at oneself) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The imperfect tense of mirarse is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

To look at oneself (in a mirror, reflection, etc.): Por ejemplo, Cuando era niño, me miraba en el espejo y soñaba con ser un superhéroe. (When I was a child, I would look at myself in the mirror and dream of being a superhero.)

To check one’s appearance: Por ejemplo, Antes de salir, siempre me miraba para asegurarme de que mi ropa estuviera bien. (Before going out, I would always check my appearance to make sure my clothes looked good.)

To examine oneself (physically or metaphorically): Por ejemplo, Me miraba las manos con preocupación, buscando alguna señal de envejecimiento. (I would examine my hands with concern, looking for any signs of aging.)

To look at one’s reflection (in a metaphorical sense): Por ejemplo, En esos días, me miraba en los ojos de mi hijo y veía mi propio pasado reflejado. (In those days, I would look into my son’s eyes and see my own past reflected.)

To see oneself (in a figurative or introspective way): Por ejemplo, Cuando meditaba, me miraba por dentro y encontraba la paz que necesitaba. (When I meditated, I would look within myself and find the peace I needed.)

Examples

Examples of Mirarse in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, me miraba en el espejo y soñaba con ser un superhéroe. (When I was a child, I would look at myself in the mirror and dream of being a superhero.)

Ellos se miraban el uno al otro con amor y ternura. (They looked at each other with love and tenderness.)

Nosotros nos mirábamos fijamente, sin saber qué decir. (We looked at each other intently, not knowing what to say.)

Tú te mirabas en el espejo y te arreglabas el cabello antes de salir. (You looked at yourself in the mirror and fixed your hair before going out.)

Vosotros os mirabais con complicidad, como si compartierais un secreto. (You (plural informal) looked at each other with complicity, as if you shared a secret.)

Ellas se miraban con desconfianza, sin saber si confiar la una en la otra. (They looked at each other with distrust, not knowing whether to trust one another.)

Ustedes se miraban con orgullo después de haber logrado su objetivo. (You (plural formal) looked at each other with pride after having achieved your goal.)

Yo me miraba en el espejo y practicaba mi discurso una y otra vez. (I looked at myself in the mirror and practiced my speech over and over again.)

Él se miraba las manos con preocupación, temiendo lo peor. (He looked at his hands with concern, fearing the worst.)

Nosotros nos mirábamos con complicidad cuando alguien contaba un chiste malo. (We looked at each other with complicity when someone told a bad joke.)

Tú te mirabas en el espejo y te dabas ánimos antes de la entrevista de trabajo. (You looked at yourself in the mirror and gave yourself encouragement before the job interview.)

Vosotros os mirabais con curiosidad, intentando descifrar el misterio. (You (plural informal) looked at each other with curiosity, trying to decipher the mystery.)

Ellos se miraban con complicidad cuando hacían una travesura. (They looked at each other with complicity when they were up to mischief.)

Ustedes se miraban con preocupación, temiendo lo peor ante la situación. (You (plural formal) looked at each other with concern, fearing the worst in the situation.)

Yo me miraba en el espejo y me daba ánimos antes de salir al escenario. (I looked at myself in the mirror and gave myself encouragement before going on stage.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Mirarse (to look at oneself) 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.