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Conjugation Chart

“Arreglarse” (to get ready) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Arreglarse”

The Imperfect Tense of Arreglarse is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Me arreglaba para ir al trabajo. (I used to get ready to go to work.)

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

How to Use Arreglarse in the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of arreglarse is used to describe actions or states that were ongoing or repeated in the past.

To get ready or dressed: For example, Cada mañana me arreglaba para ir al trabajo. (Every morning I got ready to go to work.)

To fix or repair something: For example, Mi hermano se arreglaba el pelo antes de salir. (My brother fixed his hair before going out.)

To manage or cope with a situation: For example, Nos arreglábamos como podíamos con el poco dinero que teníamos. (We managed as best we could with the little money we had.)

To make oneself look nice (colloquial): For example, Siempre se arreglaba mucho para salir con sus amigos. (She always dolled herself up to go out with her friends.)

To have an affair or relationship (slang, rude): For example, Dicen que se arreglaba con su jefe para conseguir ascensos. (They say she was having an affair with her boss to get promotions.)

Real Life Examples of Arreglarse in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, mi hermana se arreglaba todas las mañanas antes de ir a la escuela. (When she was a child, my sister would get ready every morning before going to school.)

Mis amigos y yo nos arreglábamos para salir de fiesta los fines de semana. (My friends and I would get ready to go out partying on the weekends.)

Ella se arreglaba el cabello con mucho cuidado antes de una cita importante. (She would carefully style her hair before an important date.)

Vosotros os arreglabais demasiado para ir al trabajo, ¿no? (You guys would get too dressed up to go to work, wouldn’t you?)

En la peluquería, las clientas se arreglaban el pelo y las uñas. (At the hair salon, the clients would get their hair and nails done.)

Antes de una entrevista de trabajo, me arreglaba con mi mejor traje. (Before a job interview, I would get dressed in my best suit.)

Para las fiestas, la familia se arreglaba y se ponía la ropa más elegante. (For parties, the family would get dressed up and put on their most elegant clothes.)

Después del gimnasio, me arreglaba rápidamente antes de ir a trabajar. (After the gym, I would quickly get ready before going to work.)

Mis amigas se arreglaban el pelo y el maquillaje antes de una noche de fiesta. (My friends would do their hair and makeup before a night out partying.)

Ustedes se arreglaban muy bien para las ocasiones especiales. (You would get really dressed up for special occasions.)

Él se arreglaba de manera informal para ir a la playa con sus amigos. (He would get dressed casually to go to the beach with his friends.)

Antes de una boda, la novia se arreglaba durante horas con su vestido y peinado. (Before a wedding, the bride would spend hours getting ready with her dress and hairstyle.)

Para las vacaciones, nos arreglábamos con ropa ligera y cómoda. (For vacations, we would get dressed in light, comfortable clothing.)

Vosotros os arreglabais muy bien para impresionar a vuestras citas. (You guys would really dress up to impress your dates.)

Ellas se arreglaban de manera elegante para las cenas formales. (They would get dressed elegantly for formal dinners.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Arreglarse (to get ready) 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.