The Imperfect Tense of Desayunar is used to describe habitual or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo desayunaba huevos y tocino todos los días. (I used to have eggs and bacon for breakfast every day.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Desayunar (to have breakfast) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The imperfect tense of desayunar is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

Describing an ongoing action in the past: For example, Yo desayunaba cuando sonó el timbre. (I was having breakfast when the doorbell rang.)

Describing a repeated or habitual action in the past: For example, De niño, desayunaba cereal todas las mañanas. (As a child, I used to have cereal for breakfast every morning.)

Expressing an action in progress at a specific time in the past: For example, A las 8 am, desayunábamos en la cafetería. (At 8 am, we were having breakfast at the cafe.)

Colloquial usage: In some Latin American countries, desayunar can be used informally to mean “to start something” or “to begin.” For example, Desayunamos el día con un buen café. (We started the day with a good coffee.)

Examples

Examples of Desayunar in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, desayunaba cereal con leche todos los días. (When I was a child, I used to have cereal with milk for breakfast every day.)

Mi abuela desayunaba huevos revueltos y café negro por las mañanas. (My grandmother would have scrambled eggs and black coffee for breakfast in the mornings.)

En el hotel, desayunábamos un buffet abundante antes de salir a explorar la ciudad. (At the hotel, we would have a hearty breakfast buffet before going out to explore the city.)

Ellos desayunaban rápidamente antes de ir al trabajo. (They would have a quick breakfast before going to work.)

Nosotros desayunábamos juntos en familia los domingos por la mañana. (We would have breakfast together as a family on Sunday mornings.)

Ella desayunaba un sándwich y un jugo de naranja mientras revisaba su correo electrónico. (She would have a sandwich and an orange juice for breakfast while checking her email.)

Tú desayunabas hot cakes con miel y fruta fresca cuando tenías más tiempo por las mañanas. (You used to have pancakes with honey and fresh fruit for breakfast when you had more time in the mornings.)

Mis amigos y yo desayunábamos en un café local antes de ir a la escuela. (My friends and I would have breakfast at a local cafe before going to school.)

Durante las vacaciones, desayunábamos tarde y disfrutábamos de un desayuno relajado. (During vacations, we would have a late and relaxed breakfast.)

En la oficina, algunos compañeros desayunaban en su escritorio mientras trabajaban. (At the office, some coworkers would have breakfast at their desk while working.)

Cuando desayunábamos afuera, pedíamos platos típicos de la región. (When we had breakfast out, we would order typical dishes from the region.)

Los domingos, desayunábamos tarde y veíamos películas en familia. (On Sundays, we would have a late breakfast and watch movies as a family.)

Mis padres desayunaban fruta y yogur para mantener una dieta saludable. (My parents would have fruit and yogurt for breakfast to maintain a healthy diet.)

Cuando desayunábamos en un restaurante, pedíamos platos regionales para probar la comida local. (When we had breakfast at a restaurant, we would order regional dishes to try the local cuisine.)

En los días ajetreados, desayunábamos algo rápido y sencillo antes de salir corriendo. (On busy days, we would have a quick and simple breakfast before rushing out.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Desayunar (to have breakfast) 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.