Memorize “Funcionar” conjugations in the Imperfect Tense effortlessly. Our unique loop-based audio helps you absorb verb forms naturally—just like native speakers. Tap to play and start memorizing 10x faster now!

Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop while reviewing the conjugation chart to naturally absorb the correct forms. Try it now!

Conjugation Chart of “Funcionar” (to function) in the Imperfect Tense

Why Use Loop-Based Learning

• 🧠 Activates natural language processing in the brain
• 🔄 Makes conjugations feel automatic
• 📝 Reduces mental effort compared to rote memorization
• 💡 Builds fluency through repetition

Unlike traditional methods that rely on memorizing rules and grammar drills, our approach mimics how native speakers naturally acquire language—by hearing patterns repeatedly in context. This activates your brain’s phonological loop, making verb forms feel familiar and automatic.

To learn more about the science behind this technique, read our detailed article: The Neuroscience of Language Learning: How Listening on a Loop Strengthens Your Fluency

Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Funcionar”

The Imperfect Tense of funcionar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, El aire acondicionado no funcionaba bien. (The air conditioning wasn’t working well.)

Funcionar is a regular -ar verb, so its Imperfect conjugations follow the typical pattern for that verb type.

How to Use Funcionar in the Imperfect Tense

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

Describing an ongoing action in the past: For example, El coche no funcionaba bien. (The car wasn’t working well.)

Describing a repeated or habitual action in the past: For example, Cuando era niño, el televisor funcionaba mal a menudo. (When I was a child, the TV often didn’t work properly.)

Setting the scene for another past action: For example, La impresora funcionaba bien hasta que se atascó. (The printer was working fine until it got jammed.)

Describing a state or condition in the past: For example, El sistema funcionaba de forma eficiente. (The system was operating efficiently.)

Expressing an opinion or perception in the past: For example, Me parecía que el plan no funcionaba como esperábamos. (It seemed to me that the plan wasn’t working as we expected.)

Real Life Examples of Funcionar in the Imperfect Tense

El coche funcionaba bien hasta que se averió la batería. (The car was working well until the battery broke down.)

Antes, el sistema funcionaba sin problemas, pero ahora tiene algunos fallos. (Before, the system was working without problems, but now it has some failures.)

La impresora funcionaba lentamente, así que decidimos comprar una nueva. (The printer was working slowly, so we decided to buy a new one.)

Aunque funcionaba bien, el programa era demasiado complicado para mí. (Although it was working well, the program was too complicated for me.)

En ese entonces, la calefacción funcionaba de manera intermitente. (Back then, the heating was working intermittently.)

El aire acondicionado funcionaba a veces, pero otras veces no. (The air conditioning was working sometimes, but other times it wasn’t.)

La lavadora funcionaba bien, pero hacía mucho ruido. (The washing machine was working well, but it made a lot of noise.)

El reloj funcionaba perfectamente hasta que se le acabó la batería. (The clock was working perfectly until the battery ran out.)

Aunque el teléfono funcionaba, la señal era muy débil. (Although the phone was working, the signal was very weak.)

La computadora funcionaba lentamente, así que tuvimos que reiniciarla. (The computer was working slowly, so we had to restart it.)

El horno funcionaba bien, pero a veces se apagaba solo. (The oven was working well, but sometimes it turned off by itself.)

La televisión funcionaba bien, pero la imagen era un poco borrosa. (The TV was working well, but the image was a bit blurry.)

El aire acondicionado funcionaba bien, pero consumía mucha energía. (The air conditioning was working well, but it consumed a lot of energy.)

La cámara funcionaba bien, pero la batería no duraba mucho. (The camera was working well, but the battery didn’t last long.)

El proyector funcionaba bien, pero a veces se calentaba demasiado. (The projector was working well, but sometimes it got too hot.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Funcionar (to function) in the Imperfect 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.