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Conjugation Chart

“Necesitar” (to need) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Necesitar”

The Imperfect Tense of necesitar is used to describe actions or situations that were ongoing or repeated in the past, for example, Necesitaba estudiar más para aprobar el examen. (I needed to study more to pass the exam.)

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

How to Use Necesitar in the Imperfect Tense

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

Needing something: Por ejemplo, necesitaba dinero para pagar la renta. (I needed money to pay the rent.)

Lacking something: Por ejemplo, el equipo necesitaba un nuevo delantero. (The team needed a new striker.)

Requiring something (formal): Por ejemplo, el proyecto necesitaba más fondos. (The project needed more funding.)

Wanting or desiring something (colloquial): Por ejemplo, necesitaba un trago después de ese día. (I needed a drink after that day.)

Needing to do something: Por ejemplo, necesitábamos arreglar el techo. (We needed to fix the roof.)

Expressing necessity (impersonal): Por ejemplo, se necesitaba actuar rápido. (It was necessary to act quickly.)

Real Life Examples of Necesitar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo necesitaba un nuevo teléfono celular porque el mío estaba muy viejo. (I needed a new cell phone because mine was very old.)

Ellos necesitaban más tiempo para terminar el proyecto. (They needed more time to finish the project.)

Ella necesitaba ayuda con las tareas de la casa porque estaba muy ocupada. (She needed help with the household chores because she was very busy.)

Nosotros necesitábamos un mapa para no perdernos en la ciudad. (We needed a map so we wouldn’t get lost in the city.)

Tú necesitabas estudiar más para aprobar el examen. (You needed to study more to pass the exam.)

Ellas necesitaban un aventón porque su carro estaba descompuesto. (They needed a ride because their car was broken down.)

Él necesitaba un descanso después de trabajar tantas horas. (He needed a break after working so many hours.)

Ustedes necesitaban más dinero para pagar la renta. (You all needed more money to pay the rent.)

Yo necesitaba un trago después de un día tan estresante. (I needed a drink after such a stressful day.)

Ellos necesitaban comprar comida porque no tenían nada en la nevera. (They needed to buy food because they didn’t have anything in the fridge.)

Ella necesitaba un abrazo de su mamá cuando estaba triste. (She needed a hug from her mom when she was sad.)

Nosotros necesitábamos un traductor porque no hablábamos el idioma local. (We needed a translator because we didn’t speak the local language.)

Tú necesitabas un consejo de tu mejor amigo sobre tu relación. (You needed advice from your best friend about your relationship.)

Ellas necesitaban un lugar tranquilo para estudiar antes del examen final. (They needed a quiet place to study before the final exam.)

Él necesitaba un masaje después de jugar tanto fútbol. (He needed a massage after playing so much soccer.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Necesitar (to need) in the Imperfect 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.