The Imperfect Tense of secar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo secaba la ropa al sol. (I used to dry the clothes in the sun.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Secar (to dry) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

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

Drying or desiccating something: Por ejemplo, cada verano secaba las frutas al sol (Each summer I used to dry fruits in the sun).

Removing moisture: Por ejemplo, me secaba las manos con una toalla después de lavarlas (I used to dry my hands with a towel after washing them).

Becoming dry or dehydrated (intransitive): Por ejemplo, la tierra se secaba rápidamente con el calor (The soil used to dry out quickly in the heat).

Withering or drying up (of plants): Por ejemplo, las plantas se secaban sin riego (The plants would wither without watering).

Drying up or running out (of liquids): Por ejemplo, el río se secaba en verano (The river would dry up in the summer).

Examples

Examples of Secar in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, secaba la ropa al sol después de lavarla. (When I was a child, I used to dry the clothes in the sun after washing them.)

Mi abuela secaba las hierbas en el horno para usarlas en sus recetas. (My grandmother used to dry the herbs in the oven to use them in her recipes.)

Después de nadar, secábamos nuestros cuerpos con toallas de playa. (After swimming, we used to dry our bodies with beach towels.)

Ella secaba sus lágrimas con un pañuelo mientras escuchaba la triste noticia. (She used to dry her tears with a handkerchief while listening to the sad news.)

En el restaurante, los meseros secaban las mesas con un trapo después de que los clientes se iban. (At the restaurant, the waiters used to wipe the tables with a cloth after the customers left.)

Tú secabas tu cabello con el secador de pelo antes de salir de casa. (You used to dry your hair with the hair dryer before leaving home.)

Nosotros secábamos la pintura con un ventilador después de pintar las paredes. (We used to dry the paint with a fan after painting the walls.)

Ellos secaban los platos con un paño de cocina después de lavarlos. (They used to dry the dishes with a kitchen towel after washing them.)

Vosotros secabais el sudor de vuestras frentes con una toalla pequeña durante el entrenamiento. (You (plural) used to dry the sweat from your foreheads with a small towel during training.)

Ustedes secaban las lágrimas de los niños con cariño cuando lloraban. (You (plural) used to dry the children’s tears with affection when they cried.)

Yo secaba mi cara con una toalla caliente después de aplicar una mascarilla facial. (I used to dry my face with a warm towel after applying a facial mask.)

Ellas secaban sus uñas con un secador de uñas después de aplicar el esmalte. (They used to dry their nails with a nail dryer after applying the polish.)

En la granja, secábamos el heno al sol para alimentar a los animales en invierno. (On the farm, we used to dry the hay in the sun to feed the animals in winter.)

Tú secabas tus ojos llorosos con un pañuelo desechable después de cortar cebollas. (You used to dry your teary eyes with a disposable tissue after cutting onions.)

Nosotros secábamos la ropa interior en la secadora en lugar de colgarla afuera. (We used to dry the underwear in the dryer instead of hanging it outside.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Secar (to dry) 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.