The Imperfect Tense of costar is used to describe ongoing or repeated costs in the past, for example, Esos zapatos me costaban $50 cada mes. (Those shoes used to cost me $50 each month.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Costar (to cost) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

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

To cost (money): Por ejemplo, esos zapatos me costaban $50 cada mes. (Those shoes used to cost me $50 each month.) This meaning is often used to talk about recurring expenses or prices in the past.

To be difficult or require effort: Por ejemplo, me costaba mucho levantarme temprano. (It was very difficult for me to wake up early.) This usage conveys the idea of something being challenging or requiring effort over a period of time in the past.

To be reluctant or hesitant (colloquial): Por ejemplo, le costaba aceptar la verdad. (He was reluctant to accept the truth.) In this idiomatic usage, it expresses hesitation or reluctance to do something in the past.

To be annoying or irritating (slang): Por ejemplo, me costaba su actitud arrogante. (His arrogant attitude used to annoy me.) In this slang usage, it conveys the idea of something being irritating or annoying over a period of time in the past.

Examples

Examples of Costar in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando costaba mucho dinero comprar comida, teníamos que ser muy cuidadosos con el presupuesto. (When it cost a lot of money to buy food, we had to be very careful with the budget.)

El viaje costaba más de lo que esperábamos, pero valió la pena por las experiencias increíbles. (The trip cost more than we expected, but it was worth it for the incredible experiences.)

Antes, costaba un esfuerzo enorme comunicarse con familiares en el extranjero. (Before, it cost a huge effort to communicate with relatives abroad.)

Ellos costaban mucho tiempo y energía en preparar la fiesta sorpresa. (They spent a lot of time and energy preparing the surprise party.)

Le costaba trabajo entender algunos conceptos en la clase de matemáticas. (It was difficult for them to understand some concepts in math class.)

A mi amigo le costaba un mundo levantarse temprano por las mañanas. (It was extremely difficult for my friend to get up early in the mornings.)

Nos costaba creer que nuestro equipo favorito había ganado el campeonato. (We could hardly believe that our favorite team had won the championship.)

A la empresa le costaba encontrar empleados calificados para el nuevo proyecto. (The company had a hard time finding qualified employees for the new project.)

Costaba un ojo de la cara comprar ropa de marca en esa tienda exclusiva. (It cost an arm and a leg to buy brand-name clothes in that exclusive store.)

Aunque costaba mucho esfuerzo, ella seguía practicando para mejorar su habilidad de baile. (Although it took a lot of effort, she kept practicing to improve her dancing ability.)

En esos días, costaba una fortuna viajar al extranjero por avión. (In those days, it cost a fortune to travel abroad by plane.)

A los niños les costaba quedarse quietos durante la obra de teatro escolar. (The children had a hard time staying still during the school play.)

Costaba un mundo encontrar estacionamiento en el centro de la ciudad. (It was extremely difficult to find parking downtown.)

Me costaba mucho concentrarme en mis estudios con tanto ruido alrededor. (It was very difficult for me to concentrate on my studies with so much noise around.)

A la pareja le costaba ponerse de acuerdo sobre la decoración de la nueva casa. (The couple had a hard time agreeing on the decoration of the new house.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Costar (to cost) in the Imperfect Tense 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.