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Conjugation Chart of “Colocar” (to place) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Colocar”

The Imperfect Tense of colocar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Colocaba los libros en el estante. (I used to place the books on the shelf.)

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

How to Use Colocar in the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of colocar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.

To place or put something somewhere: For example, Colocaba los libros en la estantería. (I was placing/putting the books on the shelf.)

To position or arrange something: For example, Colocábamos las sillas alrededor de la mesa. (We were arranging the chairs around the table.)

To locate or situate something: For example, La ciudad se colocaba en la costa. (The city was situated on the coast.)

To place or put someone in a job or position: For example, Lo colocaban en un puesto de gerente. (They were placing him in a manager position.)

Colloquially, to get drunk or high (rude): For example, Nos colocábamos cada fin de semana. (We used to get wasted every weekend.)

Real Life Examples of Colocar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo colocaba los libros en el estante después de leerlos. (I used to put the books on the shelf after reading them.)

Ella colocaba las flores en un jarrón para decorar la sala. (She would place the flowers in a vase to decorate the living room.)

Nosotros colocábamos las maletas en el maletero antes de salir de viaje. (We used to put the suitcases in the trunk before leaving on a trip.)

Tú colocabas los platos en la mesa para la cena. (You would set the plates on the table for dinner.)

Vosotros colocabais las sillas alrededor de la mesa para las reuniones. (You all would place the chairs around the table for meetings.)

Ellos colocaban las cajas en la camioneta para mudarse. (They used to put the boxes in the truck to move.)

Ustedes colocaban los cubiertos junto a los platos antes de servir la comida. (You all would place the utensils next to the plates before serving the food.)

Yo colocaba mi mochila en el suelo al llegar a casa. (I would put my backpack on the floor when I got home.)

Ella colocaba las toallas dobladas en el armario del baño. (She would place the folded towels in the bathroom cabinet.)

Nosotros colocábamos los juguetes en la caja después de jugar. (We used to put the toys in the box after playing.)

Tú colocabas los zapatos en el zapatero al llegar a casa. (You would put the shoes in the shoe rack when you got home.)

Vosotros colocabais las sillas de playa en la arena para tomar el sol. (You all would place the beach chairs on the sand to sunbathe.)

Ellos colocaban las bolsas de compras en el portaequipajes del coche. (They used to put the shopping bags in the car’s trunk.)

Ustedes colocaban los vasos en la bandeja para servir las bebidas. (You all would place the glasses on the tray to serve the drinks.)

Yo colocaba mi billetera en el bolsillo trasero al salir de casa. (I would put my wallet in my back pocket when leaving home.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Colocar (to place) 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.