The Imperfect Tense of borrar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo borraba los archivos antiguos cada semana. (I used to delete the old files every week.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Borrar (to erase) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

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

Erasing or deleting something: Por ejemplo, yo borraba los mensajes después de leerlos (I used to erase the messages after reading them). This meaning can also extend to metaphorical usages like borraba mis errores del pasado (I erased my past mistakes).

Removing or eliminating something: For example, el viento borraba las huellas en la arena (the wind erased the footprints in the sand). It can also be used figuratively, like la amnesia le borraba la memoria (amnesia erased his memory).

Canceling or undoing something: Por ejemplo, el juez borraba la sentencia anterior (the judge erased the previous sentence). In a more colloquial sense, it can mean borraba sus deudas jugando al póker (he erased his debts by playing poker).

Ignoring or disregarding something (colloquial): For example, ella borraba mis consejos como si nada (she ignored my advice as if it were nothing). This usage is more informal and can sometimes carry a rude or dismissive tone.

Examples

Examples of Borrar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo borraba mis notas después de cada examen. (I used to erase my notes after each exam.)

Ella borraba los mensajes de texto después de leerlos. (She would delete the text messages after reading them.)

Nosotros borrábamos las huellas en la arena antes de irnos. (We would erase the footprints in the sand before leaving.)

Tú borrabas tus errores con un borrador. (You would erase your mistakes with an eraser.)

Ellos borraban los archivos temporales para liberar espacio. (They would delete the temporary files to free up space.)

Vosotros borrabais las fotos que no os gustaban. (You (plural) would delete the photos you didn’t like.)

Ustedes borraban el historial de navegación por privacidad. (You (plural) would delete the browsing history for privacy.)

Él borraba los correos electrónicos no deseados. (He would delete the unwanted emails.)

Yo borraba las notas adhesivas después de completar las tareas. (I would erase the sticky notes after completing the tasks.)

Tú borrabas los números de la pizarra después de cada clase. (You would erase the numbers from the board after each class.)

Nosotros borrábamos los dibujos en la arena con nuestros pies. (We would erase the drawings in the sand with our feet.)

Ellas borraban las manchas de la ropa con un quitamanchas. (They would remove the stains from clothes with a stain remover.)

Vosotros borrabais las contraseñas guardadas por seguridad. (You (plural) would delete the saved passwords for security.)

Ustedes borraban las anotaciones en la pared después de terminar el proyecto. (You (plural) would erase the notes on the wall after finishing the project.)

Él borraba los recuerdos dolorosos de su mente. (He would erase the painful memories from his mind.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Borrar (to erase) 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.