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Conjugation Chart

“Descubrir” (to discover) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Descubrir”

The Imperfect Tense of descubrir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Cuando era niño, descubría nuevos lugares en el bosque. (When I was a child, I used to discover new places in the woods.)

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

How to Use Descubrir in the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of descubrir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, or to set the scene for another action.

Discovering or finding something: For example, Cuando era niño, descubría nuevos insectos en el jardín cada verano. (When I was a child, I would discover new insects in the garden every summer.)

Uncovering or revealing something: For example, Los arqueólogos descubrían nuevos artefactos cada vez que excavaban. (The archaeologists would uncover new artifacts every time they excavated.)

Realizing or becoming aware of something: For example, Poco a poco, descubría que mi amigo me estaba mintiendo. (Little by little, I was realizing that my friend was lying to me.)

Exploring or getting to know something: For example, De joven, descubría nuevos lugares y culturas cuando viajaba. (When I was young, I would discover new places and cultures when I traveled.)

Colloquial usage: In some contexts, descubrir can be used in a rude or vulgar way to refer to revealing or exposing someone’s private parts or intimate details. For example, ¡Cuidado! Tu camisa está desabrochada y se te descubre todo. (Be careful! Your shirt is unbuttoned, and you’re exposing everything.)

Real Life Examples of Descubrir in the Imperfect Tense

Yo descubría nuevos lugares cada vez que viajaba. (I used to discover new places every time I traveled.)

Ellos descubrían la belleza de la naturaleza en sus caminatas. (They would discover the beauty of nature on their hikes.)

Tú descubrías talentos ocultos al practicar un nuevo pasatiempo. (You would discover hidden talents by practicing a new hobby.)

Nosotros descubríamos nuevas culturas a través de la comida. (We used to discover new cultures through food.)

Ella descubría su verdadera pasión al leer biografías inspiradoras. (She would discover her true passion by reading inspiring biographies.)

Ustedes descubrían oportunidades de negocio en cada reunión. (You all would discover business opportunities at every meeting.)

Vosotros descubríais el valor de la paciencia al criar a vuestros hijos. (You all used to discover the value of patience while raising your children.)

Él descubría nuevas formas de relajarse en su tiempo libre. (He would discover new ways to relax in his free time.)

Ellas descubrían la importancia de la comunicación en sus relaciones. (They used to discover the importance of communication in their relationships.)

Tú descubrías talentos ocultos en tus compañeros de trabajo. (You would discover hidden talents in your coworkers.)

Yo descubría nuevas perspectivas al leer libros de diferentes géneros. (I used to discover new perspectives by reading books from different genres.)

Nosotros descubríamos la riqueza cultural de la región en los festivales locales. (We would discover the cultural richness of the region at local festivals.)

Ustedes descubrían nuevas aficiones al probar actividades diferentes. (You all used to discover new hobbies by trying different activities.)

Ellos descubrían la importancia del equilibrio entre el trabajo y la vida personal. (They would discover the importance of work-life balance.)

Vosotros descubríais nuevas recetas al experimentar con ingredientes locales. (You all used to discover new recipes by experimenting with local ingredients.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Descubrir (to discover) 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.