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Conjugation Chart
“Obedecer” (to obey) in the Imperfect Tense
Pronoun | Conjugation |
---|---|
Yo | obedecĂa |
TĂș | obedecĂas |
Ăl / Ella / Usted | obedecĂa |
Nosotros / Nosotras | obedecĂamos |
Vosotros / Vosotras | obedecĂais |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | obedecĂan |
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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Obedecer”
The Imperfect Tense of obedecer is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo obedecĂa a mis padres cuando era niño. (I used to obey my parents when I was a child.)
Obedecer is a regular -er verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the standard pattern for this verb type.
How to Use Obedecer in the Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense of obedecer is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.
Expressing habitual or repeated actions in the past: For example, Cuando era niño, obedecĂa a mis padres. (When I was a child, I used to obey my parents.)
Describing ongoing actions or states in the past: For example, ObedecĂa las reglas de la escuela. (I was obeying the school rules.)
Expressing background information or setting the scene: For example, Mientras obedecĂa las instrucciones, me di cuenta de un error. (While I was following the instructions, I realized there was a mistake.)
Describing physical or emotional states in the past: For example, ObedecĂa a mi jefe aunque no me gustaba. (I used to obey my boss even though I didn’t like it.)
Expressing age or time in the past: For example, Cuando obedecĂa a mis padres, tenĂa 10 años. (When I used to obey my parents, I was 10 years old.)
Colloquial usage: In informal contexts, obedecer can be used with a sarcastic or defiant tone, as in ÂĄNo me obedecĂas ni a mĂ ni a nadie! (You didn’t obey me or anyone!)
Real Life Examples of Obedecer in the Imperfect Tense
Cuando era niño, obedecĂa a mis padres sin cuestionar. (When I was a child, I obeyed my parents without questioning.)
En la escuela, obedecĂamos a nuestros maestros sin rechistar. (At school, we obeyed our teachers without complaint.)
Ella obedecĂa las instrucciones del entrenador al pie de la letra. (She obeyed the coach’s instructions to the letter.)
Ustedes desobedecĂan las normas de trĂĄnsito con demasiada frecuencia. (You disobeyed traffic rules too often.)
Yo obedecĂa las Ăłrdenes de mi jefe, aunque a veces no estuviera de acuerdo. (I obeyed my boss’s orders, even if I sometimes disagreed.)
Ellos obedecĂan las leyes y reglamentos sin excepciĂłn. (They obeyed laws and regulations without exception.)
TĂș desobedecĂas a tus padres cuando eras adolescente, Âżverdad? (You disobeyed your parents when you were a teenager, right?)
Nosotros obedecĂamos las reglas del juego para mantener todo justo. (We obeyed the rules of the game to keep everything fair.)
Vosotros obedecĂais las Ăłrdenes del sargento sin rechistar. (You obeyed the sergeant’s orders without complaint.)
Ella desobedecĂa las normas sociales porque creĂa que eran anticuadas. (She disobeyed social norms because she believed they were outdated.)
Ustedes obedecĂan las instrucciones de seguridad durante el vuelo. (You obeyed the safety instructions during the flight.)
Yo desobedecĂa a mis padres cuando me prohibĂan salir con mis amigos. (I disobeyed my parents when they forbade me from going out with my friends.)
Ellos obedecĂan las reglas de la comunidad para mantener la armonĂa. (They obeyed the community rules to maintain harmony.)
Vosotros desobedecĂais las advertencias de no acercaros al acantilado. (You disobeyed the warnings not to approach the cliff.)
Conjugation Chart with English Translations
Conjugations of Obedecer (to obey) in the Imperfect Tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
Yo obedecĂa | I was obeying |
TĂș obedecĂas | You were obeying |
Ăl / Ella / Usted obedecĂa | He / She / You (formal) was obeying |
Nosotros / Nosotras obedecĂamos | We were obeying |
Vosotros / Vosotras obedecĂais | You all were obeying |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes obedecĂan | They / You all (formal) were obeying |
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.