The Imperfect Tense of Levantarse is used to describe actions that were ongoing or repeated in the past, for example, Me levantaba temprano todos los días. (I used to get up early every day.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Levantarse (to get up) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

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

Getting up from bed or a seated position: Por ejemplo, me levantaba temprano para ir al trabajo. (I used to get up early to go to work.)

Rising or standing up: Por ejemplo, los estudiantes se levantaban cuando el profesor entraba al salón. (The students would stand up when the teacher entered the classroom.)

Rebelling or protesting: Por ejemplo, el pueblo se levantaba contra el gobierno corrupto. (The people were rebelling against the corrupt government.)

Recovering or improving (figurative): Por ejemplo, la economía se levantaba lentamente después de la recesión. (The economy was slowly recovering after the recession.)

Waking up (colloquial): Por ejemplo, ¿A qué hora te levantabas los domingos? (What time did you wake up on Sundays?)

Examples

Examples of Levantarse in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, me levantaba temprano para ayudar a mis padres en el campo. (When I was a child, I would get up early to help my parents in the fields.)

Mi abuela se levantaba al amanecer para preparar el desayuno para toda la familia. (My grandmother would get up at dawn to prepare breakfast for the whole family.)

Antes de que existieran los teléfonos celulares, nos levantábamos más temprano para llegar a tiempo al trabajo. (Before cell phones existed, we would get up earlier to arrive at work on time.)

Durante las vacaciones, me levantaba tarde y disfrutaba de un desayuno relajado. (During vacations, I would get up late and enjoy a relaxed breakfast.)

Cuando se levantaba de mal humor, evitábamos molestarla hasta que se calmara. (When she would get up in a bad mood, we avoided bothering her until she calmed down.)

En la universidad, me levantaba a las 6 a.m. para estudiar antes de las clases. (In college, I would get up at 6 a.m. to study before classes.)

Aunque se levantaban temprano, mis hijos siempre llegaban tarde a la escuela. (Even though they would get up early, my kids were always late for school.)

Cuando nos levantábamos con resaca, tomábamos un remedio casero para aliviar los síntomas. (When we would wake up with a hangover, we would take a home remedy to relieve the symptoms.)

En los días de mucho calor, me levantaba antes del amanecer para evitar el sol fuerte. (On very hot days, I would get up before dawn to avoid the strong sun.)

Mis abuelos se levantaban al canto del gallo todas las mañanas. (My grandparents would get up at the rooster’s crow every morning.)

Cuando nos levantábamos tarde, perdíamos la mejor parte del día. (When we would get up late, we would miss the best part of the day.)

Aunque se levantaba cansada, nunca faltaba al trabajo. (Even though she would get up tired, she never missed work.)

En los fines de semana, me levantaba tarde y disfrutaba de un desayuno abundante. (On weekends, I would get up late and enjoy a hearty breakfast.)

Cuando se levantaban de mal humor, mis padres discutían por cualquier cosa. (When they would get up in a bad mood, my parents would argue about anything.)

Antes de tener hijos, nos levantábamos tarde los domingos y leíamos el periódico tranquilamente. (Before having kids, we would get up late on Sundays and read the newspaper peacefully.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Levantarse (to get up) 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.