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Conjugation Chart of “Sonreír” (to smile) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Sonreír”

The Imperfect Tense of Sonreír is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Ella sonreía mientras leía su libro favorito. (She was smiling while reading her favorite book.)

This verb follows the accented -ía conjugation pattern in the Imperfect Tense, which is common for verbs ending in -eír.

How to Use Sonreír in the Imperfect Tense

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

Expressing a habitual or repeated action in the past: For example, Cuando era niño, sonreía mucho. (When I was a child, I smiled a lot.)

Describing an action in progress in the past: For example, Estaba sonriendo mientras leía el libro. (I was smiling while reading the book.)

Expressing a state of being or description in the past: For example, La niña sonreía tímidamente. (The girl smiled shyly.)

Expressing an emotion or feeling in the past: For example, Sonreía de felicidad al ver a su familia. (I smiled with happiness when I saw my family.)

Colloquial/Slang usage: For example, ¿Qué sonreías, güey? (What are you smiling at, dude?)

Real Life Examples of Sonreír in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, sonreía cada vez que mi abuela me contaba cuentos. (When I was a child, I would smile every time my grandmother told me stories.)

Ella sonreía tímidamente cada vez que lo veía. (She would smile shyly every time she saw him.)

Aunque estaba nervioso, sonreía para ocultar su preocupación. (Although he was nervous, he would smile to hide his concern.)

Mis padres sonreían con orgullo cuando hablaban de mis logros. (My parents would smile with pride when they talked about my achievements.)

Él sonreía de oreja a oreja cuando ganaba un partido. (He would smile from ear to ear when he won a game.)

Siempre sonreía cuando veía a su mejor amigo, sin importar su estado de ánimo. (He would always smile when he saw his best friend, regardless of his mood.)

La anciana sonreía con cariño mientras observaba a los niños jugar. (The elderly woman would smile affectionately while watching the children play.)

Cada vez que escuchaba esa canción, sonreía y se le iluminaba el rostro. (Every time he heard that song, he would smile and his face would light up.)

Aunque la situación era difícil, ella sonreía y mantenía una actitud positiva. (Although the situation was difficult, she would smile and maintain a positive attitude.)

El comediante sonreía ampliamente mientras contaba sus chistes en el escenario. (The comedian would smile widely while telling his jokes on stage.)

Siempre sonreía con picardía cuando hacía una travesura. (He would always smile mischievously when he played a prank.)

Aunque estaba cansada, sonreía y seguía trabajando duro. (Although she was tired, she would smile and keep working hard.)

El mesero sonreía amablemente mientras tomaba nuestras órdenes. (The waiter would smile kindly while taking our orders.)

Cada vez que veía una película cómica, sonreía y se reía a carcajadas. (Every time he watched a comedy movie, he would smile and laugh out loud.)

Aunque la tarea era aburrida, sonreía y la completaba con diligencia. (Although the task was boring, he would smile and complete it diligently.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Sonreír (to smile) in the Imperfect 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.