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

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

Conjugations

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

The imperfect tense of aprobar is used to describe ongoing, repeated or habitual 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: For example, Ella aprobaba todas las materias. (She used to pass all subjects.)

Expressing an action in progress at a specific time in the past: For example, A las 3 pm, yo aprobaba el curso de español. (At 3 pm, I was passing the Spanish course.)

Colloquial usage: In some Latin American countries, aprobar can be used informally to mean “to like” or “to approve of” something. For example, No aprobaba su actitud. (I didn’t like/approve of their attitude.)

Examples

Examples of Aprobar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo aprobaba los planes de mi jefe, aunque no estaba de acuerdo con ellos. (I used to approve my boss’s plans, even though I didn’t agree with them.)

Cuando era niño, mi madre aprobaba todas mis travesuras. (When I was a child, my mother used to approve of all my mischief.)

Mis amigos aprobaban mi decisión de mudarme a otra ciudad. (My friends used to approve of my decision to move to another city.)

El profesor aprobaba los trabajos de los estudiantes que se esforzaban. (The teacher used to approve the assignments of students who put in effort.)

Ella aprobaba las películas antes de que sus hijos las vieran. (She used to approve the movies before her kids watched them.)

Nosotros aprobábamos las ideas de nuestros compañeros de trabajo. (We used to approve of our coworkers’ ideas.)

El gobierno aprobaba los proyectos que beneficiaban a la comunidad. (The government used to approve projects that benefited the community.)

Ellos aprobaban las decisiones del líder, aunque no siempre estaban de acuerdo. (They used to approve the leader’s decisions, even though they didn’t always agree.)

Tú aprobabas los planes de tus amigos para salir de fiesta. (You used to approve of your friends’ plans to go out partying.)

El comité aprobaba los presupuestos para los eventos culturales. (The committee used to approve budgets for cultural events.)

Ella aprobaba las bromas de su hermano, aunque a veces eran pesadas. (She used to approve of her brother’s jokes, even though they were sometimes heavy.)

Nosotros aprobábamos las decisiones de nuestros padres, aunque no siempre estábamos de acuerdo. (We used to approve of our parents’ decisions, even though we didn’t always agree.)

Tú aprobabas las elecciones de tu pareja, aunque a veces te preocupaban. (You used to approve of your partner’s choices, even though they sometimes worried you.)

Ellos aprobaban las reformas políticas, aunque no estaban seguros de sus consecuencias. (They used to approve of the political reforms, even though they weren’t sure of their consequences.)

El juez aprobaba los acuerdos entre las partes, siempre que fueran justos. (The judge used to approve the agreements between the parties, as long as they were fair.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Aprobar (to approve) 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.