The Imperfect Tense of Entretener is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo te entretenía contando chistes. (I used to entertain you by telling jokes.)
This verb follows the standard conjugation pattern for regular verbs ending in -er in the Imperfect Tense, with the ending -ía for the first person singular.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Entretener (to entertain) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
Pronoun | Conjugation |
---|---|
Yo | entretenía |
Tú | entretenías |
Él / Ella / Usted | entretenía |
Nosotros / Nosotras | entreteníamos |
Vosotros / Vosotras | entreteníais |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | entretenían |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Entretener (to entertain) in the Imperfect Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Entretener in the Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense of entretener is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.
To entertain or amuse: For example, Cuando era niño, mi abuelo nos entretenía con historias de su juventud. (When I was a child, my grandfather entertained us with stories from his youth.)
To pass the time: For example, Me entretenía leyendo mientras esperaba al médico. (I passed the time reading while waiting for the doctor.)
To distract or divert attention: For example, El payaso entretenía a los niños para que no se aburrieran. (The clown entertained the children so they wouldn’t get bored.)
To delay or stall (colloquial): For example, El político nos entretenía con excusas mientras ocultaba la verdad. (The politician entertained us with excuses while hiding the truth.)
Examples
Examples of Entretener in the Imperfect Tense
Cuando era niño, mi abuela entretenía a mis primos y a mí con cuentos fascinantes. (When I was a child, my grandmother entertained my cousins and me with fascinating stories.)
El payaso entretenía a los niños en la fiesta con trucos divertidos. (The clown entertained the children at the party with funny tricks.)
La banda entretenía a la multitud con sus éxitos más populares. (The band entertained the crowd with their most popular hits.)
Durante el vuelo, la azafata entretenía a los pasajeros con películas y juegos. (During the flight, the flight attendant entertained the passengers with movies and games.)
En la reunión familiar, mi tío entretenía a todos con sus chistes graciosos. (At the family gathering, my uncle entertained everyone with his funny jokes.)
El mago callejero entretenía a los transeúntes con sus trucos de magia. (The street magician entertained the passersby with his magic tricks.)
La presentadora de televisión entretenía al público con su carisma y sentido del humor. (The TV host entertained the audience with her charisma and sense of humor.)
El comediante entretenía al público con sus rutinas hilarantes. (The comedian entertained the audience with his hilarious routines.)
Ustedes entretenían a los niños con juegos y actividades divertidas durante el campamento. (You (plural) entertained the children with fun games and activities during the camp.)
El animador entretenía a los huéspedes del hotel con shows en vivo y concursos. (The entertainer entertained the hotel guests with live shows and contests.)
El DJ entretenía a la gente en la discoteca con su selección de música bailable. (The DJ entertained the people at the club with his selection of danceable music.)
Ellos entretenían a los niños con juegos de mesa mientras los padres preparaban la cena. (They entertained the children with board games while the parents prepared dinner.)
Tú entretenías a tus compañeros de clase con tus imitaciones graciosas del profesor. (You entertained your classmates with your funny imitations of the teacher.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Entretener (to entertain) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
Yo entretenía | I was entertaining |
Tú entretenías | You were entertaining |
Él / Ella / Usted entretenía | He / She / You (formal) was entertaining |
Nosotros / Nosotras entreteníamos | We were entertaining |
Vosotros / Vosotras entreteníais | You all were entertaining |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes entretenían | They / You all (formal) were entertaining |
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.