The Imperfect Tense of lavarse is used to describe actions that were ongoing or repeated in the past, for example, Me lavaba las manos todas las noches antes de acostarme. (I used to wash my hands every night before going to bed.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Lavarse (to wash oneself) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

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

Basic meaning: To wash oneself. For example, Yo me lavaba las manos antes de comer. (I used to wash my hands before eating.)

Habitual action: To express a routine or habitual action in the past. For example, De niño, me lavaba los dientes todas las noches. (As a child, I brushed my teeth every night.)

Ongoing action: To describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. For example, A las 7 a.m., yo me lavaba la cara. (At 7 a.m., I was washing my face.)

Colloquial usage: In some Latin American countries, it can mean “to get ready” or “to prepare oneself.” For example, Me lavaba para salir a la fiesta. (I was getting ready to go to the party.)

Idiomatic expression: “Lavarse las manos” can mean to absolve oneself of responsibility or blame. For example, El jefe se lavaba las manos y culpaba a sus empleados. (The boss washed his hands of it and blamed his employees.)

Examples

Examples of Lavarse in the Imperfect Tense

Yo me lavaba las manos con frecuencia para evitar enfermarme. (I used to wash my hands frequently to avoid getting sick.)

Cuando era niño, me lavaba los dientes todas las noches antes de acostarme. (When I was a child, I used to brush my teeth every night before going to bed.)

Mi hermana se lavaba el cabello dos veces por semana. (My sister used to wash her hair twice a week.)

Ellos se lavaban la ropa a mano porque no tenían lavadora. (They used to wash their clothes by hand because they didn’t have a washing machine.)

Nosotros nos lavábamos la cara con agua fría por las mañanas para despabilarnos. (We used to wash our faces with cold water in the mornings to wake up.)

Antes de comer, me lavaba bien las manos, como me enseñaron de pequeño. (Before eating, I used to wash my hands thoroughly, as I was taught when I was little.)

En el gimnasio, me lavaba después de hacer ejercicio. (At the gym, I used to shower after working out.)

Mi abuela se lavaba la cara con leche de almendras para mantener su piel suave. (My grandmother used to wash her face with almond milk to keep her skin soft.)

Cuando vivía solo, me lavaba la ropa interior a mano porque no quería mezclarla con el resto de la ropa. (When I lived alone, I used to hand wash my underwear because I didn’t want to mix it with the rest of my clothes.)

Antes de una cita importante, me lavaba el cabello y me arreglaba con esmero. (Before an important date, I used to wash my hair and get ready carefully.)

En la playa, nos lavábamos los pies con agua de mar para quitarnos la arena. (At the beach, we used to wash our feet with seawater to remove the sand.)

Después de jugar fútbol, me lavaba las rodillas y los codos porque siempre terminaba raspado. (After playing soccer, I used to wash my knees and elbows because I always ended up scraped.)

Cuando era adolescente, me lavaba la cara con jabón especial para el acné. (When I was a teenager, I used to wash my face with special soap for acne.)

En el trabajo, me lavaba las manos con frecuencia para mantener todo higiénico. (At work, I used to wash my hands frequently to keep everything hygienic.)

Antes de una cirugía, me lavaba minuciosamente siguiendo los protocolos del hospital. (Before a surgery, I used to wash thoroughly following the hospital protocols.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Lavarse (to wash oneself) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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.