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Conjugation Chart of “Encontrar” (to find) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Encontrar”

The Imperfect Tense of encontrar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Encontraba la felicidad en las pequeñas cosas. (I used to find happiness in the little things.)

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

How to Use Encontrar in the Imperfect Tense

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

Finding or encountering something/someone: For example, Cuando era niño, encontraba monedas en la calle. (When I was a child, I would find coins on the street.)

Meeting someone: For example, Me encontraba con mis amigos en el parque los sábados. (I would meet my friends at the park on Saturdays.)

Discovering or realizing something: For example, Encontraba difícil aprender español. (I found it difficult to learn Spanish.)

Colloquial usage: It can also be used informally to mean “to be in a certain state or condition,” for example, ¿Cómo te encontrabas después de la fiesta? (How were you feeling after the party?)

Real Life Examples of Encontrar in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, encontraba fascinante explorar el bosque cercano. (When I was a child, I found exploring the nearby forest fascinating.)

Mis abuelos encontraban mucha alegría en pasar tiempo con sus nietos. (My grandparents found great joy in spending time with their grandchildren.)

Ella encontraba difícil concentrarse en su trabajo con tanto ruido alrededor. (She found it difficult to concentrate on her work with so much noise around.)

Nosotros encontrábamos emocionante viajar a nuevos lugares durante las vacaciones. (We found it exciting to travel to new places during the holidays.)

Tú encontrabas la manera de animar a tus amigos cuando estaban desanimados. (You found a way to cheer up your friends when they were down.)

Vosotros encontrabais inspiración en la naturaleza para vuestras obras de arte. (You (plural) found inspiration in nature for your works of art.)

Ellos encontraban gratificante ayudar a los necesitados en su comunidad. (They found it rewarding to help those in need in their community.)

Yo encontraba emocionante aprender sobre nuevas culturas a través de los libros. (I found it exciting to learn about new cultures through books.)

Ustedes encontraban desafiante mantener un equilibrio entre el trabajo y la vida personal. (You (plural) found it challenging to maintain a balance between work and personal life.)

Ella encontraba relajante practicar yoga después de un día estresante. (She found practicing yoga relaxing after a stressful day.)

Nosotros encontrábamos emocionante asistir a conciertos de música en vivo. (We found attending live music concerts exciting.)

Tú encontrabas frustrante lidiar con la burocracia del gobierno. (You found dealing with government bureaucracy frustrating.)

Vosotros encontrabais gratificante enseñar a los niños en la escuela. (You (plural) found teaching children at school rewarding.)

Ellos encontraban difícil adaptarse a un nuevo país y cultura. (They found it difficult to adapt to a new country and culture.)

Yo encontraba reconfortante pasar tiempo con mi familia durante las fiestas. (I found spending time with my family during the holidays comforting.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Encontrar (to find) 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.