Marcar Imperfect Tense in Latin American Spanish

The Imperfect Tense of marcar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo marcaba el número de mi amigo todos los días. (I used to dial my friend’s number every day.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Marcar (to mark) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Pronoun Conjugation
Yomarcaba
marcabas
Él / Ella / Ustedmarcaba
Nosotros / Nosotrasmarcábamos
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedesmarcaban

Boost Your Memorization with Audio!

We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Marcar (to mark) in the Imperfect Tense to help you learn faster.

Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.

Usage of Marcar in the Imperfect Tense

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

To mark or make a mark: For example, Marcaba las páginas importantes del libro. (I used to mark the important pages of the book.)

To score (in sports): For example, El delantero marcaba muchos goles. (The striker used to score many goals.)

To dial (a phone number): For example, Siempre marcaba mal los números. (I always used to dial the wrong numbers.)

To indicate or show: For example, El reloj marcaba las 3 de la tarde. (The clock indicated 3 in the afternoon.)

To emphasize or accentuate: For example, Marcaba mucho su acento extranjero. (He used to emphasize his foreign accent a lot.)

Slang: To stare or gaze: For example, Siempre me marcaba en la fiesta. (He was always staring at me at the party.)

Examples

Examples of Marcar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo marcaba los números de teléfono en mi agenda. (I used to write down the phone numbers in my address book.)

Ella marcaba las páginas de su libro favorito con un marcador. (She used to mark the pages of her favorite book with a bookmark.)

Nosotros marcábamos las rutas en el mapa antes de salir de viaje. (We used to mark the routes on the map before going on a trip.)

Ellos marcaban los goles en el partido de fútbol. (They used to score goals in the soccer game.)

marcabas la diferencia en tu trabajo con tu dedicación. (You used to make a difference at your job with your dedication.)

Él marcaba las fechas importantes en el calendario. (He used to mark important dates on the calendar.)

Ellas marcaban las prendas con etiquetas en la tienda de ropa. (They used to tag the clothes with labels in the clothing store.)

Ustedes marcaban el ritmo en la clase de baile. (You used to set the pace in the dance class.)

Yo marcaba las páginas web favoritas en mi navegador. (I used to bookmark my favorite websites in my browser.)

Ella marcaba las respuestas correctas en el examen. (She used to mark the correct answers on the test.)

Nosotros marcábamos los tiempos de carrera con un cronómetro. (We used to time the races with a stopwatch.)

Ellos marcaban las tendencias en la moda. (They used to set the trends in fashion.)

marcabas el camino en las caminatas por la montaña. (You used to lead the way on mountain hikes.)

Él marcaba los puntos clave en su presentación. (He used to highlight the key points in his presentation.)

Ellas marcaban las piezas defectuosas en la línea de producción. (They used to mark the defective pieces on the production line.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Marcar (to mark) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

Spanish English
Yo marcaba I was marking
Tú marcabas You were marking
Él / Ella / Usted marcaba He / She / You was marking
Nosotros / Nosotras marcábamos We were marking
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes marcaban They / You all were marking

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.