The Imperfect Tense of atravesar is used to describe actions that were ongoing or repeated in the past, for example: Yo atravesaba el parque todas las mañanas. (I used to cross the park every morning.)

Atravesar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Atravesar (to cross) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The imperfect tense of atravesar is used to describe actions that were ongoing or repeated in the past.

Crossing or passing through: For example, Atravesábamos el parque todas las mañanas. (We used to cross the park every morning.) This meaning can also be used figuratively, like Atravesaba una etapa difícil. (She was going through a difficult phase.)

Experiencing or enduring: For example, El país atravesaba una crisis económica. (The country was experiencing an economic crisis.) This usage implies suffering through something challenging.

Piercing or stabbing (colloquial): For example, Lo atravesé con la mirada. (I pierced him with my gaze, implying an intense stare.) In some contexts, this could have a rude or aggressive connotation.

Interrupting or interjecting (colloquial): For example, Siempre me atravesaba cuando hablaba. (He would always interrupt me when I was speaking.) This usage suggests rudely cutting someone off mid-sentence.

Examples

Examples of Atravesar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo atravesaba el parque todas las mañanas para ir al trabajo. (I used to walk through the park every morning to go to work.)

Cuando era niño, atravesaba el río para visitar a mis abuelos. (When I was a child, I used to cross the river to visit my grandparents.)

Ella atravesaba una etapa difícil en su vida. (She was going through a difficult stage in her life.)

Nosotros atravesábamos la frontera cada verano para ir de vacaciones. (We used to cross the border every summer to go on vacation.)

Ustedes atravesaban por momentos complicados en su relación. (You were going through complicated moments in your relationship.)

Él atravesaba la calle con mucho cuidado para no ser atropellado. (He used to cross the street very carefully to avoid being hit.)

Ellos atravesaban el desierto en su camino hacia el norte. (They used to cross the desert on their way north.)

Tú atravesabas por una crisis existencial en esa época. (You were going through an existential crisis at that time.)

Yo atravesaba un mal momento económico y no tenía dinero para pagar la renta. (I was going through a bad financial situation and didn’t have money to pay the rent.)

Ellas atravesaban la ciudad en autobús para llegar a su trabajo. (They used to cross the city by bus to get to their job.)

Nosotros atravesábamos una etapa de cambios en nuestra empresa. (We were going through a stage of changes in our company.)

Ustedes atravesaban la plaza principal para llegar a la iglesia. (You used to cross the main square to get to the church.)

Él atravesaba un periodo de depresión y necesitaba ayuda profesional. (He was going through a period of depression and needed professional help.)

Tú atravesabas la selva para llegar a tu destino. (You used to cross the jungle to reach your destination.)

Ellos atravesaban una crisis matrimonial y estaban considerando el divorcio. (They were going through a marital crisis and were considering divorce.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Atravesar (to cross) 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.