The Imperfect Tense of calmarse is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past, for example, Me calmaba cuando escuchaba música relajante. (I would calm down when I listened to relaxing music.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Calmarse (to calm down) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The imperfect tense of calmarse is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past, or to set the scene for another past action.

To calm down or relax: For example, Cuando era niño, me calmaba leyendo cuentos antes de dormir. (When I was a child, I would calm down by reading stories before bed.)

To become less intense: For example, La tormenta se calmaba poco a poco. (The storm was gradually calming down.)

To stop being angry or upset (colloquial): For example, ¡Cálmate, hombre! No es para tanto. (Calm down, man! It’s not that big a deal.)

To shut up or be quiet (rude): For example, ¡Cálmate ya, pesado! (Shut up already, you pest!)

Examples

Examples of Calmarse in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, me calmaba escuchando música después de un día estresante en la escuela. (When I was a child, I would calm down by listening to music after a stressful day at school.)

Mi abuela se calmaba tomando un té de hierbas antes de dormir. (My grandmother would calm herself down by drinking herbal tea before bed.)

Después de una discusión acalorada, nos calmábamos dando un paseo por el parque. (After a heated argument, we would calm down by taking a walk in the park.)

Cuando se calmaba, mi hermano podía pensar con más claridad y tomar mejores decisiones. (When he calmed down, my brother could think more clearly and make better decisions.)

En situaciones de estrés, me calmaba practicando ejercicios de respiración profunda. (In stressful situations, I would calm myself down by practicing deep breathing exercises.)

Antes de una presentación importante, me calmaba repitiendo afirmaciones positivas. (Before an important presentation, I would calm myself down by repeating positive affirmations.)

Cuando se calmaban los ánimos, podíamos discutir el problema de manera más racional. (When tempers calmed down, we could discuss the problem more rationally.)

Después de una jornada laboral agitada, me calmaba leyendo un buen libro en el sofá. (After a hectic workday, I would calm down by reading a good book on the couch.)

Cuando se calmaba el tráfico, el viaje se volvía más placentero. (When traffic calmed down, the journey became more pleasant.)

En momentos de ansiedad, me calmaba llamando a un amigo cercano para desahogarme. (In moments of anxiety, I would calm myself down by calling a close friend to vent.)

Después de una pelea con mi pareja, nos calmábamos dándonos un poco de espacio. (After a fight with my partner, we would calm down by giving each other some space.)

Cuando se calmaban las aguas, los pescadores podían salir a pescar con más seguridad. (When the waters calmed down, fishermen could go fishing more safely.)

En situaciones de pánico, me calmaba concentrándome en mi respiración y visualizando un lugar tranquilo. (In panic situations, I would calm myself down by focusing on my breathing and visualizing a peaceful place.)

Después de una discusión acalorada en la oficina, nos calmábamos tomando un descanso y despejando nuestras mentes. (After a heated discussion at the office, we would calm down by taking a break and clearing our minds.)

Cuando se calmaban los vientos, los marineros podían navegar con más facilidad. (When the winds calmed down, sailors could navigate more easily.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Calmarse (to calm down) 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.