The Imperfect Tense of deshacer is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past, for example: Deshacía las maletas cada vez que regresaba de un viaje. (I used to unpack the suitcases every time I returned from a trip.)

This verb follows the standard conjugation pattern for verbs ending in -cer, replacing the -c- with -z- before adding the imperfect endings: deshacía, deshacías, deshacía, deshacíamos, deshacíais, deshacían.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Deshacer (to undo) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

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

Undoing or taking apart: For example, Deshacía las maletas después de cada viaje. (She was undoing the suitcases after each trip.) This meaning can also be used figuratively, like deshacía sus errores poco a poco. (She was undoing her mistakes little by little.)

Canceling or reversing: For example, El gobierno deshacía las reformas del año anterior. (The government was undoing the reforms from the previous year.) This can also apply to actions, like deshacía lo que había hecho. (He was undoing what he had done.)

Untying or loosening: For example, Deshacía el nudo de su corbata. (He was untying the knot of his tie.) This usage is often literal, but can be figurative, like deshacía los lazos familiares. (She was loosening the family ties.)

Dissolving or melting (figurative): For example, El calor deshacía el hielo lentamente. (The heat was melting the ice slowly.) This meaning is usually used metaphorically, like la tristeza la deshacía por dentro. (The sadness was dissolving her from the inside.)

Undoing or unraveling (figurative): For example, La mentira se deshacía poco a poco. (The lie was unraveling little by little.) This meaning is often used for abstract concepts like plans or stories.

Examples

Examples of Deshacer in the Imperfect Tense

Yo deshacía los nudos de mi cabello mientras me preparaba para salir. (I was undoing the knots in my hair as I got ready to go out.)

Ella deshacía la cama todas las mañanas antes de ir a trabajar. (She was unmaking the bed every morning before going to work.)

Nosotros deshacíamos las maletas después de regresar de nuestras vacaciones. (We were unpacking our suitcases after returning from our vacation.)

Tú deshacías los regalos de Navidad con mucha emoción. (You were unwrapping the Christmas presents with great excitement.)

Ellos deshacían el nudo de la cuerda para poder usarla. (They were untying the knot in the rope so they could use it.)

Vosotros deshacíais las trenzas de vuestra hermana con cuidado. (You were undoing your sister’s braids carefully.)

Ustedes deshacían los paquetes con prisa para ver qué había dentro. (You were unwrapping the packages in a hurry to see what was inside.)

Él deshacía el dobladillo del pantalón para alargarlo. (He was undoing the hem of the pants to lengthen them.)

Yo deshacía el moño de mi uniforme después de clases. (I was untying the bow on my uniform after classes.)

Ellas deshacían las trenzas de sus hijas antes de acostarlas. (They were undoing their daughters’ braids before putting them to bed.)

Tú deshacías el nudo de la corbata después de una larga jornada laboral. (You were untying the knot in your tie after a long workday.)

Nosotros deshacíamos las cajas de la mudanza con cuidado. (We were carefully unpacking the moving boxes.)

Vosotros deshacíais los enredos de los auriculares antes de usarlos. (You were untangling the headphone wires before using them.)

Ellos deshacían los paquetes de comida para preparar la cena. (They were unwrapping the food packages to prepare dinner.)

Ustedes deshacían los nudos de las cuerdas de la tienda de campaña. (You were untying the knots in the tent ropes.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Deshacer (to undo) in the Imperfect Tense 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.