The Imperfect Tense of encontrarse is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past, for example, Me encontraba en el parque cuando comenzó a llover. (I was in the park when it started to rain.)

Encontrarse is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the standard pattern for that verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Encontrarse (to find oneself) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The imperfect tense of encontrarse is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions, states, or situations in the past.

To be located or situated: For example, La ciudad se encontraba cerca del río. (The city was located near the river.)

To be in a certain condition or state: For example, Me encontraba muy cansado después del entrenamiento. (I was very tired after the workout.)

To happen to be somewhere by chance: For example, Me encontraba en el parque cuando te vi. (I happened to be at the park when I saw you.)

To find oneself in a situation: For example, Me encontraba en una situación difícil. (I found myself in a difficult situation.)

To meet someone unexpectedly: For example, Me encontraba con mi vecino en el supermercado. (I ran into my neighbor at the supermarket.)

To feel a certain way (colloquial): For example, Me encontraba de muy buen humor. (I was in a very good mood.)

Examples

Examples of Encontrarse in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, me encontraba con mis amigos en el parque para jugar. (When I was a child, I would meet my friends at the park to play.)

Ella se encontraba muy cansada después de trabajar todo el día. (She would find herself very tired after working all day.)

En aquella época, nos encontrábamos sin dinero con frecuencia. (Back then, we would often find ourselves broke.)

¿Te encontrabas bien cuando vivías en la ciudad? (Would you feel good when you lived in the city?)

Mis padres se encontraban preocupados por mi futuro. (My parents would find themselves worried about my future.)

Vosotros os encontrabais perdidos en el bosque, ¿verdad? (You all would find yourselves lost in the woods, right?)

Ellos se encontraban en una situación difícil. (They would find themselves in a difficult situation.)

Cuando me encontraba solo, solía leer un libro. (When I would find myself alone, I used to read a book.)

Ustedes se encontraban muy ocupados con el trabajo. (You all would find yourselves very busy with work.)

¿Te encontrabas cómodo en tu antiguo empleo? (Would you feel comfortable in your old job?)

Nosotros nos encontrábamos sin opciones en aquel momento. (We would find ourselves without options at that time.)

Ella se encontraba en un dilema sobre qué decisión tomar. (She would find herself in a dilemma about which decision to make.)

Vosotros os encontrabais confundidos por las instrucciones. (You all would find yourselves confused by the instructions.)

Yo me encontraba emocionado antes de viajar al extranjero. (I would find myself excited before traveling abroad.)

Ellas se encontraban decepcionadas con los resultados. (They would find themselves disappointed with the results.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Encontrarse (to find oneself) 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.