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Conjugation Chart
“Obtener” (to obtain) in the Imperfect Tense
Pronoun | Conjugation |
---|---|
Yo | obtenía |
Tú | obtenías |
Él / Ella / Usted | obtenía |
Nosotros / Nosotras | obteníamos |
Vosotros / Vosotras | obteníais |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | obtenían |
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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Obtener”
The Imperfect Tense of obtener is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Obtenía buenas calificaciones en la escuela. (I used to get good grades in school.)
Obtener is a standard Spanish verb that follows the regular -ía conjugation pattern in the Imperfect Tense.
How to Use Obtener in the Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense of obtener is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, or to set the scene for another past action.
Obtaining or acquiring something in the past: For example, Obtenía buenas notas en la escuela. (I used to get good grades at school.)
Expressing a habitual or repeated action in the past: For example, Cada verano obteníamos entradas para el cine. (Every summer we used to get movie tickets.)
Describing a past action in progress: For example, Estaba obteniendo mi licencia de conducir cuando cumplí 18 años. (I was getting my driver’s license when I turned 18.)
Expressing a state or condition in the past: For example, Obtenía mucho placer de leer libros. (I used to get a lot of pleasure from reading books.)
Colloquial usage (slang or idiomatic): For example, ¿Obtenías lo que querías de tus padres cuando eras niño? (Did you used to get what you wanted from your parents when you were a kid?) This can imply getting away with something or manipulating a situation.
Real Life Examples of Obtener in the Imperfect Tense
Yo obtenía buenas calificaciones en la escuela. (I used to get good grades in school.)
Ellos obtenían la mayoría de sus ingresos de las ventas en línea. (They used to get most of their income from online sales.)
Nosotros obteníamos descuentos por ser miembros del club. (We used to get discounts for being club members.)
Tú obtenías excelentes resultados con ese método de estudio. (You used to get excellent results with that study method.)
Vosotros obteníais muchos elogios por vuestro trabajo duro. (You all used to get a lot of praise for your hard work.)
Ella obtenía un gran placer de la jardinería. (She used to get great pleasure from gardening.)
Ustedes obtenían buenas propinas cuando trabajaban en el restaurante. (You all used to get good tips when you worked at the restaurant.)
Él obtenía información valiosa de sus contactos en la industria. (He used to get valuable information from his contacts in the industry.)
¿Obtenías suficiente sueño cuando eras estudiante? (Did you used to get enough sleep when you were a student?)
Mis amigos y yo obteníamos entradas gratis para los conciertos. (My friends and I used to get free tickets to concerts.)
La empresa obtenía grandes ganancias antes de la recesión. (The company used to get big profits before the recession.)
¿Obtenían ustedes buenos resultados con ese plan de ejercicios? (Did you all used to get good results with that exercise plan?)
Yo obtenía mucha satisfacción de ayudar a los demás. (I used to get a lot of satisfaction from helping others.)
Vosotros obteníais excelentes críticas por vuestras actuaciones. (You all used to get excellent reviews for your performances.)
Ellas obtenían grandes descuentos al comprar al por mayor. (They used to get great discounts when buying wholesale.)
Conjugation Chart with English Translations
Conjugations of Obtener (to obtain) in the Imperfect Tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
Yo obtenía | I was obtaining |
Tú obtenías | You were obtaining |
Él / Ella / Usted obtenía | He / She / You (formal) was obtaining |
Nosotros / Nosotras obteníamos | We were obtaining |
Vosotros / Vosotras obteníais | You all were obtaining |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes obtenían | They / You all (formal) were obtaining |
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.