Lanzar Imperfect Tense in Latin American Spanish

The Imperfect Tense of lanzar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo lanzaba la pelota al aire todos los días. (I used to throw the ball into the air every day.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Lanzar (to throw) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Pronoun Conjugation
Yolanzaba
lanzabas
Él / Ella / Ustedlanzaba
Nosotros / Nosotraslanzábamos
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedeslanzaban

Boost Your Memorization with Audio!

We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Lanzar (to throw) 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 Lanzar in the Imperfect Tense

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

To throw or launch: For example, Cuando era niño, lanzaba piedras al río. (When I was a child, I used to throw stones into the river.)

To release or set free: For example, El gobierno lanzaba a los prisioneros después de cumplir sus condenas. (The government used to release prisoners after they served their sentences.)

To put out or introduce: For example, La empresa lanzaba un nuevo producto cada año. (The company used to launch a new product every year.)

To utter or say (colloquial): For example, Siempre lanzaba groserías cuando se enojaba. (He would always blurt out swear words when he got angry.)

To start or initiate (idiomatic): For example, Lanzaban el proyecto sin hacer mucha planificación. (They would kick off the project without much planning.)

Examples

Examples of Lanzar in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, lanzaba piedras al río. (When I was a child, I used to throw stones into the river.)

Mi hermana lanzaba la pelota muy alto en el parque. (My sister used to throw the ball very high in the park.)

El equipo lanzaba la pelota de un lado a otro durante el partido. (The team kept throwing the ball from side to side during the game.)

Cada año, lanzábamos fuegos artificiales en Navidad. (Every year, we used to launch fireworks on Christmas.)

Ellos lanzaban monedas a la fuente de los deseos. (They used to toss coins into the wishing well.)

En la playa, lanzábamos la frisbee por diversión. (At the beach, we used to throw the frisbee for fun.)

Ella lanzaba indirectas sobre lo que quería de regalo. (She used to drop hints about what she wanted as a gift.)

Mi papá lanzaba chistes malos en las cenas familiares. (My dad used to tell bad jokes at family dinners.)

Los manifestantes lanzaban consignas contra el gobierno. (The protesters used to chant slogans against the government.)

La empresa lanzaba nuevos productos cada año. (The company used to launch new products every year.)

Los fanáticos lanzaban gritos de emoción durante el concierto. (The fans used to shout excitedly during the concert.)

Cuando estaba enojado, lanzaba insultos sin pensar. (When I was angry, I used to hurl insults without thinking.)

La banda lanzaba su nuevo álbum cada dos años. (The band used to release their new album every two years.)

En la oficina, lanzábamos ideas para nuevos proyectos. (At the office, we used to pitch ideas for new projects.)

Los niños lanzaban globos llenos de agua en el verano. (The kids used to throw water balloons in the summer.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Lanzar (to throw) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

Spanish English
Yo lanzaba I was throwing
Tú lanzabas You were throwing
Él / Ella / Usted lanzaba He / She / You was throwing
Nosotros / Nosotras lanzábamos We were throwing
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes lanzaban They / You all were throwing

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.