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Conjugation Chart

“Abrir” (to open) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Abrir”

The Imperfect Tense of Abrir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo abría la puerta todas las mañanas. (I used to open the door every morning.)

Abrir is a regular -ir verb, so its Imperfect conjugations follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

How to Use Abrir in the Imperfect Tense

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

Describing an ongoing action in the past: For example, Yo abría la puerta cuando sonó el timbre. (I was opening the door when the doorbell rang.)

Describing a repeated or habitual action in the past: For example, De niño, siempre abría las ventanas por la mañana. (As a child, I would always open the windows in the morning.)

Describing a state or condition in the past: For example, La tienda abría a las 9 de la mañana. (The store opened at 9 in the morning.)

Describing a background action or setting the scene: For example, Mientras abría la caja, pensaba en lo que podría haber dentro. (While I was opening the box, I was thinking about what could be inside.)

Idiomatic usage: For example, ¡Abre los ojos! (Open your eyes! – meaning “pay attention” or “wake up”)

Real Life Examples of Abrir in the Imperfect Tense

Yo abría la ventana por las mañanas para dejar entrar el aire fresco. (I used to open the window in the mornings to let in the fresh air.)

Cuando éramos niños, abríamos los regalos de Navidad muy temprano. (When we were kids, we used to open the Christmas presents very early.)

Mis abuelos abrían su negocio a las seis de la mañana todos los días. (My grandparents used to open their business at six in the morning every day.)

Ella abría su corazón a sus amigos y les contaba sus problemas. (She used to open her heart to her friends and tell them her problems.)

Vosotros abríais la puerta de la casa con mucho cuidado para no hacer ruido. (You (plural) used to open the door of the house very carefully so as not to make noise.)

Ellos abrían un nuevo restaurante cada año en la ciudad. (They used to open a new restaurant every year in the city.)

Tú abrías tu mente a nuevas ideas y experiencias cuando viajabas. (You used to open your mind to new ideas and experiences when you traveled.)

Nosotros abríamos la tienda de campaña con cuidado para no romperla. (We used to open the tent carefully so as not to break it.)

Ustedes abrían el paquete con emoción, ansiosos por ver qué había dentro. (You (plural) used to open the package with excitement, eager to see what was inside.)

Él abría su corazón a la poesía y escribía versos hermosos. (He used to open his heart to poetry and write beautiful verses.)

Vosotros abríais la puerta de par en par para que entrara la brisa fresca. (You (plural) used to open the door wide open to let in the cool breeze.)

Ellas abrían un nuevo capítulo en sus vidas cada vez que se mudaban a una nueva ciudad. (They used to open a new chapter in their lives every time they moved to a new city.)

Yo abría mi mente a nuevas culturas y tradiciones cuando viajaba al extranjero. (I used to open my mind to new cultures and traditions when I traveled abroad.)

Tú abrías la puerta de tu corazón a tus seres queridos y les mostrabas tu amor. (You used to open the door of your heart to your loved ones and show them your love.)

Nosotros abríamos un nuevo libro con entusiasmo, ansiosos por sumergimos en una nueva aventura. (We used to open a new book with enthusiasm, eager to immerse ourselves in a new adventure.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Abrir (to open) in the Imperfect Tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American 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.