The Imperfect Tense of aprobar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo aprobaba los exámenes con facilidad. (I used to pass the exams easily.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Aprobar (to approve) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

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

Expressing an ongoing action in the past: For example, Yo aprobaba el examen. (I was passing the exam.)

Describing repeated or habitual actions in the past: For example, Ella aprobaba todas las asignaturas. (She used to pass all the subjects.)

Expressing a state or condition in the past: For example, Nosotros aprobábamos la propuesta. (We approved of the proposal.)

Colloquial usage: In informal contexts, aprobar can mean “to like” or “to approve of” something. For example, No aprobaba su actitud. (I didn’t approve of their attitude.)

Examples

Examples of Aprobar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo aprobaba todos los exámenes cuando estudiaba en la universidad. (I used to pass all the exams when I studied at university.)

Ellos aprobaban las propuestas de los clientes con frecuencia. (They often approved the clients’ proposals.)

Tú aprobabas las ideas locas de tus amigos, aunque no fueran muy buenas. (You used to approve your friends’ crazy ideas, even if they weren’t very good.)

Nosotros aprobábamos los planes de vacaciones en familia cada verano. (We used to approve the family vacation plans every summer.)

Vosotros aprobabais las reglas del juego antes de empezar a jugar. (You all used to approve the rules of the game before starting to play.)

Ella aprobaba los diseños de moda con entusiasmo. (She enthusiastically approved the fashion designs.)

Ustedes aprobaban los planes de negocios de manera rutinaria. (You all routinely approved the business plans.)

Él aprobaba las solicitudes de préstamo con cuidado. (He carefully approved the loan applications.)

Vosotros aprobabais las ideas creativas de los empleados. (You all used to approve the employees’ creative ideas.)

Ellas aprobaban los menús del restaurante cada semana. (They used to approve the restaurant menus every week.)

Yo aprobaba las bromas pesadas de mis amigos, aunque a veces eran demasiado. (I used to approve my friends’ practical jokes, even though they were sometimes too much.)

Tú aprobabas los planes de viaje con entusiasmo. (You used to enthusiastically approve the travel plans.)

Nosotros aprobábamos los presupuestos anuales de la empresa. (We used to approve the company’s annual budgets.)

Ustedes aprobaban las reformas políticas con cautela. (You all cautiously approved the political reforms.)

Ellos aprobaban las solicitudes de membresía del club con rigor. (They rigorously approved the club membership applications.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Aprobar (to approve) in the Imperfect Tense 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.