The Imperfect Tense of atraer is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Ella atraía a muchos admiradores con su belleza. (She attracted many admirers with her beauty.)
This verb follows the accented -ía conjugation pattern in the Imperfect Tense, which is common for verbs ending in -aer and -eer.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Atraer (to attract) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | atraía |
| Tú | atraías |
| Él / Ella / Usted | atraía |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | atraíamos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | atraíais |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | atraían |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Atraer (to attract) 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 Atraer in the Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense of atraer is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.
To attract or draw towards: For example, El imán atraía los objetos metálicos. (The magnet attracted the metal objects.) This can also be used figuratively, like Su carisma atraía a la gente. (His charisma attracted people.)
To entice or tempt: For example, El olor del pastel recién horneado me atraía. (The smell of the freshly baked cake tempted me.) This usage can have a slightly negative connotation, like Las luces de la ciudad atraían a los jóvenes a la vida nocturna. (The city lights enticed the youth into the nightlife.)
To draw or pull towards (colloquial): For example, La música ruidosa atraía a los vecinos. (The loud music drew the neighbors’ attention.) This can also be used in a more figurative sense, like Sus ideas radicales atraían a los inconformes. (His radical ideas pulled in the discontented.)
Examples
Examples of Atraer in the Imperfect Tense
Cuando era niño, el aroma de las flores atraía a muchas mariposas al jardín. (When I was a child, the scent of flowers attracted many butterflies to the garden.)
El equipo de fútbol atraía a una gran multitud de fanáticos cada fin de semana. (The soccer team attracted a large crowd of fans every weekend.)
La música en vivo atraía a mucha gente al bar los viernes por la noche. (The live music attracted a lot of people to the bar on Friday nights.)
El imán atraía los objetos metálicos con facilidad. (The magnet easily attracted metallic objects.)
La exposición de arte atraía a muchos visitantes al museo. (The art exhibition attracted many visitors to the museum.)
El olor de las galletas recién horneadas atraía a todos a la cocina. (The smell of freshly baked cookies attracted everyone to the kitchen.)
La luz de la lámpara atraía a muchas polillas por la noche. (The lamp light attracted many moths at night.)
El carisma del líder atraía a más seguidores a su causa. (The leader’s charisma attracted more followers to their cause.)
La oferta de descuentos atraía a muchos clientes a la tienda. (The discount offer attracted many customers to the store.)
El parque de diversiones atraía a familias de todas partes durante las vacaciones. (The amusement park attracted families from all over during the holidays.)
La feria de artesanía atraía a compradores interesados en productos únicos. (The craft fair attracted buyers interested in unique products.)
El concierto de rock atraía a una multitud de jóvenes entusiastas. (The rock concert attracted a crowd of enthusiastic young people.)
La nueva aplicación atraía a muchos usuarios por su interfaz intuitiva. (The new app attracted many users because of its intuitive interface.)
El aroma del café recién hecho atraía a los transeúntes a la cafetería. (The aroma of freshly brewed coffee attracted passersby to the cafe.)
La feria de empleo atraía a solicitantes de empleo de todas las industrias. (The job fair attracted job applicants from all industries.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Atraer (to attract) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo atraía | I was attracting |
| Tú atraías | You were attracting |
| Él / Ella / Usted atraía | He / She / You (formal) was attracting |
| Nosotros / Nosotras atraíamos | We were attracting |
| Vosotros / Vosotras atraíais | You all were attracting |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes atraían | They / You all (formal) were attracting |
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.