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Conjugation Chart

“Cumplir” (to fulfill) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Cumplir”

The Imperfect Tense of Cumplir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo cumplía con mis deberes cada día. (I used to fulfill my duties every day.)

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

How to Use Cumplir in the Imperfect Tense

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

Expressing habitual actions in the past: For example, Cuando era niño, cumplía con mis tareas después de la escuela. (When I was a child, I used to do my homework after school.)

Describing actions in progress in the past: For example, Ayer a las 5, cumplía con mi rutina de ejercicios. (Yesterday at 5, I was fulfilling my exercise routine.)

Expressing age: For example, El año pasado, cumplía 30 años. (Last year, I was turning 30 years old.)

Expressing emotions or states of being in the past: For example, Cuando era joven, no cumplía con las expectativas de mis padres. (When I was young, I didn’t meet my parents’ expectations.)

Slang/Idiomatic usage: Cumplía con el deber can mean “to have sex” in a vulgar context. (I was fulfilling my duty.)

Real Life Examples of Cumplir in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, cumplía con todas mis tareas antes de salir a jugar. (When I was a child, I used to complete all my chores before going out to play.)

Mi abuela cumplía con su rutina diaria de ejercicios sin falta. (My grandmother never failed to follow her daily exercise routine.)

El equipo cumplía con los plazos de entrega a pesar de las dificultades. (The team met the delivery deadlines despite the difficulties.)

Nosotros cumplíamos con nuestras obligaciones familiares sin quejarnos. (We fulfilled our family obligations without complaining.)

Ella cumplía con sus promesas, por eso la respetábamos tanto. (She kept her promises, which is why we respected her so much.)

Vosotros cumplíais con las reglas del juego, aunque fueran estrictas. (You all followed the rules of the game, even though they were strict.)

Ellos cumplían con sus deberes cívicos votando en cada elección. (They fulfilled their civic duties by voting in every election.)

Tú cumplías con tus responsabilidades en el trabajo sin problemas. (You used to fulfill your work responsibilities without any issues.)

Ustedes cumplían con los requisitos para obtener la beca. (You all met the requirements to obtain the scholarship.)

Yo cumplía con mi promesa de ayudar a los demás cuando podía. (I kept my promise to help others whenever I could.)

Ella cumplía con su palabra, incluso en situaciones difíciles. (She kept her word, even in difficult situations.)

Vosotros cumplíais con las expectativas de vuestros padres en los estudios. (You all met your parents’ expectations in your studies.)

Ellos cumplían con los plazos de entrega, aunque tuvieran que trabajar horas extras. (They met the delivery deadlines, even if they had to work overtime.)

Tú cumplías con tus obligaciones financieras a tiempo. (You used to meet your financial obligations on time.)

Nosotros cumplíamos con las normas de seguridad en el trabajo. (We followed the safety regulations at work.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Cumplir (to fulfill) 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.