The Imperfect Tense of leer is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Leía el periódico todas las mañanas. (I used to read the newspaper every morning.)

Leer is a regular -er verb, so its Imperfect conjugations follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Leer (to read) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The imperfect tense of leer is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.

Reading habitually or repeatedly: For example, Cuando era niño, leía cuentos todas las noches antes de dormir. (When I was a child, I used to read stories every night before bed.)

Describing an action in progress: For example, Estaba leyendo el periódico cuando sonó el timbre. (I was reading the newspaper when the doorbell rang.)

Describing a state of being or situation: For example, La sala leía fría y oscura. (The room felt cold and dark.)

Expressing age: For example, Cuando me fui de casa, leía dieciocho años. (When I left home, I was eighteen years old.)

Expressing time: For example, Leían las tres de la tarde cuando llegamos. (It was three o’clock in the afternoon when we arrived.)

Colloquial usage (slang or idiomatic): For example, ¡Leía la cartilla! (I was telling the truth! / I was being honest!)

Examples

Examples of Leer in the Imperfect Tense

Yo leía el periódico todas las mañanas mientras tomaba mi café. (I used to read the newspaper every morning while drinking my coffee.)

Cuando era niño, mi abuela leía cuentos para mí antes de dormir. (When I was a child, my grandmother would read stories to me before bedtime.)

Ellos leían las noticias en línea durante su descanso. (They would read the news online during their break.)

Tú leías revistas de moda con tus amigas los fines de semana. (You used to read fashion magazines with your friends on weekends.)

Nosotros leíamos libros de aventuras en la playa durante las vacaciones. (We would read adventure books at the beach during vacations.)

Vosotros leíais poesía en el parque los domingos por la tarde. (You all used to read poetry in the park on Sunday afternoons.)

Ella leía las instrucciones cuidadosamente antes de armar el mueble. (She would read the instructions carefully before assembling the furniture.)

Ustedes leían los menús en el restaurante mientras esperaban ser atendidos. (You all would read the menus at the restaurant while waiting to be served.)

Él leía el guión una y otra vez para prepararse para la audición. (He would read the script over and over to prepare for the audition.)

Nosotras leíamos novelas románticas en el parque durante el verano. (We used to read romantic novels in the park during the summer.)

Vosotros leíais los anuncios de trabajo en el periódico todos los domingos. (You all would read the job listings in the newspaper every Sunday.)

Ellas leían las críticas de restaurantes antes de decidir a dónde ir a cenar. (They would read restaurant reviews before deciding where to go for dinner.)

Tú leías los informes financieros detenidamente antes de las reuniones. (You used to read the financial reports carefully before meetings.)

Yo leía los subtítulos mientras veía películas en otros idiomas. (I would read the subtitles while watching movies in other languages.)

Ustedes leían los horarios de vuelo en el aeropuerto para no perder su vuelo. (You all would read the flight schedules at the airport to not miss your flight.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Leer (to read) 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.