The Imperfect Tense of Admitir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo admitía que tenía un problema. (I admitted that I had a problem.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Admitir (to admit) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

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

To allow or permit: For example, Mis padres no admitían que saliera tan tarde. (My parents didn’t allow me to go out so late.) This meaning can also imply tolerating or accepting something, like No admitía las bromas pesadas de sus amigos. (She didn’t tolerate her friends’ mean jokes.)

To acknowledge or concede: For example, Admitía que había cometido un error. (He admitted that he had made a mistake.) It can also mean confessing or owning up to something, like Finalmente admitió que había roto el jarrón. (He finally admitted that he had broken the vase.)

To accept or receive: For example, El teatro no admitía más espectadores. (The theater wasn’t accepting any more spectators.) This usage can also refer to allowing entry or access, like La universidad sólo admitía a los mejores estudiantes. (The university only admitted the best students.)

Colloquial usage: In some Latin American countries, admitir can be used informally to mean “to put up with” or “to deal with” something unpleasant or annoying, like No admitía las quejas constantes de su hermano. (He couldn’t stand his brother’s constant complaining.)

Examples

Examples of Admitir in the Imperfect Tense

Yo admitía que tenía miedo de volar en avión. (I admitted that I was afraid of flying on a plane.)

Ella admitía que no sabía cocinar muy bien. (She admitted that she didn’t know how to cook very well.)

Ellos admitían que se habían perdido en la ciudad. (They admitted that they had gotten lost in the city.)

Tú admitías que no entendías las reglas del juego. (You admitted that you didn’t understand the rules of the game.)

Nosotros admitíamos que habíamos cometido un error. (We admitted that we had made a mistake.)

Él admitía que no le gustaba su trabajo. (He admitted that he didn’t like his job.)

Yo admitía, de mala gana, que había olvidado su cumpleaños. (I reluctantly admitted that I had forgotten their birthday.)

Ella admitía que le costaba trabajo hacer ejercicio regularmente. (She admitted that she had trouble exercising regularly.)

Ellos admitían que no sabían bailar muy bien. (They admitted that they didn’t know how to dance very well.)

Tú admitías que te gustaba comer comida chatarra de vez en cuando. (You admitted that you liked to eat junk food from time to time.)

Nosotros admitíamos que no éramos buenos ahorrando dinero. (We admitted that we weren’t good at saving money.)

Él admitía que le daba flojera limpiar la casa. (He admitted that he was too lazy to clean the house.)

Yo admitía que me costaba trabajo despertarme temprano. (I admitted that I had trouble waking up early.)

Ella admitía que no le gustaba la música clásica. (She admitted that she didn’t like classical music.)

Ellos admitían que no sabían cómo arreglar el carro. (They admitted that they didn’t know how to fix the car.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Admitir (to admit) 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.