The Imperfect Tense of traer is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Yo traía la comida a la mesa todos los días. (I brought the food to the table every day.)

This verb follows the accented -ía conjugation pattern in the Imperfect Tense, which means the accent falls on the second-to-last syllable for all subjects.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Traer (to bring) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

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

Bringing/Carrying: For example, Yo traía la comida a la mesa todos los días (I used to bring the food to the table every day). This refers to the act of transporting or carrying something from one place to another.

Causing: For example, La lluvia traía muchos problemas (The rain used to cause many problems). This meaning implies that something caused or brought about a particular situation or consequence.

Wearing/Having: For example, Ella traía un vestido rojo (She was wearing a red dress). This usage refers to having or wearing something at a particular time in the past.

Remembering/Recalling: For example, No traía a la mente su nombre (I couldn’t recall their name). This meaning implies bringing something to mind or remembering it.

Introducing/Presenting (colloquial): For example, ¿Qué traes ahí? (What are you bringing/presenting there?). In informal contexts, this usage can refer to introducing or presenting something, often with a sense of curiosity or suspicion.

Causing Trouble (slang): For example, Ese tipo siempre trae problemas (That guy always brings trouble). In slang usage, it can imply causing or attracting trouble or complications.

Examples

Examples of Traer in the Imperfect Tense

Yo traía la comida para la fiesta, pero se me olvidó en casa. (I was bringing the food for the party, but I forgot it at home.)

Ellos traían regalos para los niños cada Navidad. (They used to bring gifts for the kids every Christmas.)

Cuando era niño, mi abuela traía pan recién horneado a la casa. (When I was a child, my grandmother would bring freshly baked bread to the house.)

Nosotros traíamos la música y las bebidas a la pachanga. (We used to bring the music and drinks to the party.)

¿Por qué traías esa cara tan larga? (Why did you have such a long face?) [Idiomatic usage meaning “Why did you look so sad?”]

Ella traía un libro diferente para leer en el parque cada semana. (She would bring a different book to read in the park every week.)

Tú traías mucha alegría a nuestras reuniones familiares. (You used to bring a lot of joy to our family gatherings.)

En la universidad, traíamos nuestros propios almuerzos para ahorrar dinero. (In college, we used to bring our own lunches to save money.)

Mis padres traían souvenirs de sus viajes al extranjero. (My parents would bring souvenirs from their trips abroad.)

¿Por qué traías tanta prisa? Relájate un poco. (Why were you in such a hurry? Relax a little.)

Ellas traían flores frescas para decorar la oficina cada lunes. (They used to bring fresh flowers to decorate the office every Monday.)

Cuando traía mi guitarra a la playa, todos cantábamos juntos. (When I would bring my guitar to the beach, we would all sing together.)

Los voluntarios traían donaciones de ropa y comida al refugio. (The volunteers used to bring clothing and food donations to the shelter.)

¿Recuerdas cuando traíamos nuestros juguetes al parque para compartirlos? (Do you remember when we used to bring our toys to the park to share them?)

Mamá traía galletas recién horneadas después de la escuela. (Mom would bring freshly baked cookies after school.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Traer (to bring) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.