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Conjugation Chart

“Insistir” (to insist) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Insistir”

The Imperfect Tense of insistir is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past, for example: Yo insistía en ir al parque todos los días. (I insisted on going to the park every day.)

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

How to Use Insistir in the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of insistir is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

Expressing persistence or repetition: For example, Mi hermano insistía en ir al cine todos los fines de semana. (My brother insisted on going to the movies every weekend.)

Describing a habitual action: For example, Cuando era niño, mi madre insistía en que comiera verduras. (When I was a child, my mother insisted that I eat vegetables.)

Expressing an action in progress: For example, Insistía en que le dijera la verdad. (He insisted that I tell him the truth.)

Colloquial usage: For example, ¡Insistía y insistía en que le prestara dinero! (He kept insisting that I lend him money!)

Real Life Examples of Insistir in the Imperfect Tense

Ella insistía en que debíamos ir al cine, aunque yo prefería quedarme en casa. (She kept insisting that we should go to the movies, even though I preferred to stay home.)

Mi hermano insistía en que yo lo acompañara a la fiesta, pero no me apetecía ir. (My brother kept insisting that I should go to the party with him, but I didn’t feel like going.)

El profesor insistía en que entregáramos el trabajo a tiempo, de lo contrario, no lo aceptaría. (The teacher kept insisting that we turn in the assignment on time, otherwise he wouldn’t accept it.)

Aunque insistíamos en que no queríamos más postre, la abuela seguía sirviendo. (Even though we kept insisting that we didn’t want any more dessert, grandma kept serving it.)

El vendedor insistía en que compráramos el paquete completo, pero solo queríamos el producto básico. (The salesperson kept insisting that we should buy the full package, but we only wanted the basic product.)

Mis amigos insistían en ir a bailar, pero yo estaba demasiado cansado después de un largo día de trabajo. (My friends kept insisting on going dancing, but I was too tired after a long day at work.)

Vosotros insistíais en que fuéramos a la playa, pero hacía demasiado frío para nadar. (You kept insisting that we should go to the beach, but it was too cold to swim.)

Aunque insistía en que no necesitaba ayuda, mis padres seguían ofreciéndome dinero para la universidad. (Even though I kept insisting that I didn’t need help, my parents kept offering me money for college.)

El entrenador insistía en que practicáramos más, si queríamos ganar el campeonato. (The coach kept insisting that we should practice more if we wanted to win the championship.)

Ustedes insistían en que fuéramos a ese restaurante caro, pero yo prefería uno más económico. (You kept insisting that we should go to that expensive restaurant, but I preferred a more affordable one.)

Ella insistía en que yo la acompañara al supermercado, aunque yo odiaba ir de compras. (She kept insisting that I should go with her to the supermarket, even though I hated shopping.)

Mis compañeros de trabajo insistían en que tomáramos un descanso, pero yo quería terminar el proyecto cuanto antes. (My coworkers kept insisting that we should take a break, but I wanted to finish the project as soon as possible.)

El mecánico insistía en que cambiáramos las llantas del coche, pero yo pensaba que aún podían durar un poco más. (The mechanic kept insisting that we should change the car’s tires, but I thought they could last a little longer.)

Vosotros insistíais en que fuéramos a ver esa película de terror, pero yo soy muy miedoso. (You kept insisting that we should go see that horror movie, but I’m very scared.)

Aunque insistíamos en que no queríamos más regalos, nuestros familiares seguían trayéndonos cosas. (Even though we kept insisting that we didn’t want any more gifts, our relatives kept bringing us things.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Insistir (to insist) 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.