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Conjugation Chart of “Cocinar” (to cook) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Cocinar”

The Imperfect Tense of cocinar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Yo cocinaba la cena todas las noches. (I used to cook dinner every night.)

Cocinar is a regular -ar verb, so its Imperfect Tense conjugations follow the typical pattern for that verb type.

How to Use Cocinar in the Imperfect Tense

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

Describing an ongoing action in the past: For example, Cocinaba una sopa cuando sonó el timbre. (I was cooking a soup when the doorbell rang.)

Describing repeated or habitual actions in the past: For example, De niño, cocinaba con mi abuela todos los domingos. (As a child, I used to cook with my grandmother every Sunday.)

Describing actions in progress without a specific end point: For example, Cocinaba mientras escuchaba música. (I was cooking while listening to music.)

Describing physical or emotional states in the past: For example, Cocinaba con mucho amor para mi familia. (I cooked with a lot of love for my family.)

Colloquial usage (slang/idiomatic): For example, ¿Qué cocinabas, viejo? (What were you up to, dude?) – Implying someone was involved in something suspicious or illegal.

Real Life Examples of Cocinar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo cocinaba la cena mientras mi esposa ponía la mesa. (I was cooking dinner while my wife set the table.)

De niño, mi abuela cocinaba los platos más deliciosos. (As a child, my grandmother used to cook the most delicious dishes.)

Antes de tener hijos, cocinábamos con más frecuencia. (Before having kids, we used to cook more often.)

Cuando vivía solo, cocinaba comidas sencillas. (When I lived alone, I used to cook simple meals.)

En la universidad, mis amigos y yo cocinábamos juntos los fines de semana. (In college, my friends and I used to cook together on weekends.)

Mis padres cocinaban platillos tradicionales en las fiestas. (My parents used to cook traditional dishes for celebrations.)

Antes de tener una familia numerosa, ella cocinaba con calma. (Before having a large family, she used to cook calmly.)

Cuando éramos jóvenes, cocinábamos comida rápida con frecuencia. (When we were young, we used to cook fast food often.)

En mi antiguo trabajo, cocinaba el almuerzo en la oficina. (At my old job, I used to cook lunch in the office.)

Mis tíos cocinaban juntos durante las reuniones familiares. (My uncles used to cook together during family gatherings.)

Antes de mudarnos, cocinábamos en una cocina pequeña. (Before moving, we used to cook in a small kitchen.)

Cuando vivía en el campo, cocinaba con ingredientes frescos. (When I lived in the countryside, I used to cook with fresh ingredients.)

En su juventud, mi madre cocinaba postres deliciosos. (In her youth, my mother used to cook delicious desserts.)

Antes de tener una familia grande, ellos cocinaban comidas elaboradas. (Before having a large family, they used to cook elaborate meals.)

Cuando éramos estudiantes, cocinábamos comidas económicas. (When we were students, we used to cook inexpensive meals.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Cocinar (to cook) in the Imperfect 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.