The Imperfect Tense of Llenar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo llenaba el tanque de gasolina cada semana. (I used to fill up the gas tank every week.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Llenar (to fill) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The imperfect tense of llenar is used to describe ongoing, repeated, or habitual actions in the past.

Filling or occupying space: Por ejemplo, cada mañana llenaba la bañera con agua caliente. (Every morning I filled the bathtub with hot water.)

Completing or making something full: Por ejemplo, llenaba los formularios con información falsa. (I filled out the forms with false information.)

Satisfying or fulfilling: Por ejemplo, el trabajo no me llenaba. (The job didn’t fulfill me.)

Figurative filling: Por ejemplo, la música llenaba el ambiente de alegría. (The music filled the atmosphere with joy.)

Colloquial usage (getting drunk): Por ejemplo, anoche me llené de cerveza. (Last night I got drunk on beer.)

Examples

Examples of Llenar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo llenaba la tina con agua caliente para relajarme después de un día agotador. (I was filling the bathtub with hot water to relax after an exhausting day.)

Ellos llenaban los vasos con vino tinto durante la cena. (They were filling the glasses with red wine during dinner.)

Ella llenaba el tanque de gasolina antes de emprender un largo viaje. (She was filling up the gas tank before embarking on a long trip.)

Nosotros llenábamos las maletas con ropa ligera para nuestras vacaciones en la playa. (We were packing our suitcases with light clothing for our beach vacation.)

Tú llenabas el formulario con tus datos personales para solicitar el empleo. (You were filling out the form with your personal information to apply for the job.)

El mesero llenaba las tazas con café recién hecho. (The waiter was filling the cups with freshly brewed coffee.)

Los niños llenaban sus platos con papas fritas y nuggets de pollo. (The kids were piling their plates with french fries and chicken nuggets.)

Mis amigos y yo llenábamos las bolsas de plástico con latas de aluminio para reciclar. (My friends and I were filling plastic bags with aluminum cans for recycling.)

La multitud llenaba las calles para protestar contra la corrupción gubernamental. (The crowd was filling the streets to protest against government corruption.)

Ella llenaba su agenda con citas y compromisos importantes. (She was filling her agenda with important appointments and commitments.)

El equipo de construcción llenaba los huecos en la carretera con asfalto fresco. (The construction crew was filling the potholes in the road with fresh asphalt.)

Yo llenaba mi mochila con libros y cuadernos para ir a la escuela. (I was packing my backpack with books and notebooks to go to school.)

Ellos llenaban las jarras con agua fresca para hidratarse durante el partido de fútbol. (They were filling the pitchers with fresh water to stay hydrated during the soccer game.)

Tú llenabas el bote de basura con envolturas y restos de comida. (You were filling the trash can with wrappers and food scraps.)

La banda llenaba el estadio con su música energética y contagiosa. (The band was filling the stadium with their energetic and infectious music.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Llenar (to fill) 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.