The Imperfect Tense of masticar is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past, for example, Yo masticaba las uvas lentamente. (I was chewing the grapes slowly.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Masticar (to chew) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The imperfect tense of masticar is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

Chewing or eating: For example, Cuando era niño, masticaba chicle todo el tiempo. (When I was a child, I used to chew gum all the time.)

Figuratively, to ponder or think deeply: For example, Masticaba las palabras del profesor, tratando de entender el concepto. (I pondered the professor’s words, trying to understand the concept.)

Slang: To be annoyed or irritated: For example, Masticaba la bronca después de que me multaron. (I was really pissed off after getting that ticket.)

Examples

Examples of Masticar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo masticaba lentamente el bistec para disfrutar de su sabor. (I was chewing the steak slowly to enjoy its flavor.)

Cuando éramos niños, masticábamos chicles todo el día. (When we were kids, we chewed gum all day.)

Ella masticaba ruidosamente las papas fritas, lo cual me molestaba. (She was noisily chewing the potato chips, which annoyed me.)

En la reunión, todos masticaban lápices debido al estrés. (At the meeting, everyone was chewing pencils due to stress.)

Tú masticabas la comida tan rápido que casi te atragantabas. (You were chewing your food so fast that you almost choked.)

Vosotros masticabais chicle en clase, a pesar de las reglas. (You all were chewing gum in class, despite the rules.)

Ellos masticaban ansiosamente mientras esperaban los resultados. (They were anxiously chewing while waiting for the results.)

Ustedes masticaban las uñas cuando estaban nerviosos. (You all were biting your nails when you were nervous.)

Yo masticaba un lápiz mientras pensaba en la solución. (I was chewing on a pencil while thinking about the solution.)

Ella masticaba chicle de manera ruidosa, lo cual era molesto. (She was noisily chewing gum, which was annoying.)

Nosotros masticábamos semillas mientras veíamos la película. (We were chewing seeds while watching the movie.)

Tú masticabas la comida tan rápido que casi te ahogas. (You were chewing your food so fast that you almost choked.)

Vosotros masticabais chicle en clase, a pesar de las reglas. (You all were chewing gum in class, despite the rules.)

Ellos masticaban ansiosamente mientras esperaban los resultados. (They were anxiously chewing while waiting for the results.)

Ustedes masticaban las uñas cuando estaban nerviosos. (You all were biting your nails when you were nervous.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Masticar (to chew) 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.