The Imperfect Tense of levantar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo levantaba la mano para participar en clase. (I was raising my hand to participate in class.)

Levantar is a regular -ar verb, so its Imperfect conjugations follow the typical pattern for that verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Levantar (to lift) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

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

To raise or lift something: For example, Cuando era niño, levantaba pesas en el gimnasio. (When I was a child, I used to lift weights at the gym.)

To get up or rise: For example, Todos los días me levantaba temprano para ir a trabajar. (Every day I used to get up early to go to work.)

To build or construct: For example, Los obreros levantaban un edificio nuevo en la ciudad. (The workers were building a new building in the city.)

To start or initiate: For example, El gobierno levantaba nuevas políticas para mejorar la economía. (The government was implementing new policies to improve the economy.)

To pick up or gather: For example, Después de la fiesta, levantábamos todos los platos y vasos del suelo. (After the party, we used to pick up all the plates and glasses from the floor.)

To rebel or revolt (colloquial): For example, El pueblo se levantaba contra el gobierno corrupto. (The people were rebelling against the corrupt government.)

Examples

Examples of Levantar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo levantaba la mano para pedir la palabra en la reunión. (I was raising my hand to ask for the floor in the meeting.)

Ellos levantaban sus maletas con dificultad en el aeropuerto. (They were lifting their suitcases with difficulty at the airport.)

Tú levantabas la voz sin darte cuenta cuando discutíamos. (You were raising your voice without realizing it when we were arguing.)

Nosotros levantábamos el ánimo de nuestro equipo antes del partido. (We were lifting the spirits of our team before the game.)

Ella levantaba las cejas cada vez que mentía. (She was raising her eyebrows every time she lied.)

Ustedes levantaban la mano para pedir un taxi en la calle. (You were raising your hand to hail a taxi on the street.)

Vosotros levantabais la vista del libro de vez en cuando. (You were lifting your gaze from the book from time to time.)

Él levantaba pesas en el gimnasio todas las mañanas. (He was lifting weights at the gym every morning.)

Ellas levantaban la voz cuando hablaban en público. (They were raising their voices when speaking in public.)

Tú levantabas la mano para saludar a tus amigos a lo lejos. (You were waving your hand to greet your friends from afar.)

Nosotros levantábamos el campamento temprano por la mañana. (We were breaking down the camp early in the morning.)

Ellos levantaban la voz cuando discutían en la calle. (They were raising their voices when arguing on the street.)

Vosotros levantabais la mano para pedir permiso en clase. (You were raising your hand to ask for permission in class.)

Ella levantaba la mirada cada vez que entraba alguien a la habitación. (She was lifting her gaze every time someone entered the room.)

Yo levantaba los hombros cuando no sabía la respuesta. (I was shrugging my shoulders when I didn’t know the answer.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Levantar (to lift) 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.