The Imperfect Tense of llamarse is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, or to express age, time, or characteristics in the past. For example, Yo me llamaba María cuando era niña. (I was called María when I was a child.)

Llamarse is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the standard pattern for that verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Llamarse (to be called) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

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

To be called/named: For example, Mi amigo se llamaba Juan. (My friend was called Juan.) This is the most common usage, referring to someone’s name.

To be known as: For example, Ella se llamaba “la reina de las fiestas”. (She was known as “the queen of parties.”) This refers to a nickname or informal title.

To call oneself (reflexive): For example, ¿Cómo se llamaba ese tipo que se hacía llamar “El Jefe”? (What was that guy called who called himself “The Boss”?) This implies someone giving themselves a name or title.

To be named/called (referring to objects): For example, Esa marca de cerveza se llamaba “Dorada”. (That beer brand was called “Dorada.”) This usage applies to naming things, not just people.

To mean (colloquial): For example, ¿Qué se llama “chingón” en tu barrio? (What does “chingón” mean in your neighborhood?) This slang usage asks about the meaning of a word or phrase.

Examples

Examples of Llamarse in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, mi abuelo se llamaba José. (When he was a child, my grandfather was called José.)

La actriz se llamaba María antes de cambiarse el nombre artístico. (The actress was called María before changing her stage name.)

¿Cómo se llamaba tu ex novio? (What was your ex-boyfriend’s name?)

El equipo de fútbol se llamaba “Los Tigres” en esa época. (The soccer team was called “The Tigers” back then.)

Esa calle se llamaba “Avenida Principal” hace unos años. (That street was called “Main Avenue” a few years ago.)

El restaurante se llamaba “La Casita” cuando lo abrieron por primera vez. (The restaurant was called “The Little House” when they first opened it.)

Mi mejor amigo se llamaba Juan cuando éramos niños. (My best friend was called Juan when we were kids.)

La empresa se llamaba “Tecnologías Avanzadas” antes del cambio de nombre. (The company was called “Advanced Technologies” before the name change.)

¿Recuerdas cómo se llamaba esa canción que tanto nos gustaba? (Do you remember what that song we liked so much was called?)

La ciudad se llamaba “Nueva Esperanza” cuando se fundó. (The city was called “New Hope” when it was founded.)

El perro de mi vecino se llamaba Firulais, un nombre muy gracioso. (My neighbor’s dog was called Firulais, a very funny name.)

La revista se llamaba “Estilo de Vida” antes de cambiar su enfoque. (The magazine was called “Lifestyle” before changing its focus.)

¿Cómo se llamaba esa aplicación que usábamos para encontrar restaurantes? (What was that app we used to find restaurants called?)

El parque se llamaba “Jardines del Río” cuando lo inauguraron. (The park was called “River Gardens” when it was inaugurated.)

La tienda se llamaba “El Rincón de las Antigüedades” antes de mudarse a un local más grande. (The store was called “The Antique Corner” before moving to a larger location.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Llamarse (to be called) 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.