🎧 Memorize ‘Participar’ Imperfect Tense 10x Faster with Audio (Castilian Spanish)

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Conjugation Chart

“Participar” (to participate) in the Imperfect Tense

Pronoun Conjugation
Yoparticipaba
TĂşparticipabas
Él / Ella / Ustedparticipaba
Nosotros / Nosotrasparticipábamos
Vosotros / Vosotrasparticipabais
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedesparticipaban

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Participar”

The Imperfect Tense of Participar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Participaba en el club de ajedrez los sábados. (I used to participate in the chess club on Saturdays.)

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

How to Use Participar in the Imperfect Tense

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

Participating in an activity: For example, Cuando era niño, participaba en los juegos de la escuela. (When I was a child, I used to participate in school games.)

Being involved: For example, Mi hermano participaba en las protestas estudiantiles. (My brother was involved in the student protests.)

Taking part (colloquial): For example, ÂżParticipabas en las fiestas de tu vecindario? (Did you take part in the neighborhood parties?)

Sharing (idiomatic): For example, Mis padres no participaban de mis ideas modernas. (My parents didn’t share my modern ideas.)

Real Life Examples of Participar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo participaba en las reuniones de la comunidad todos los meses. (I used to participate in the community meetings every month.)

Ellos participaban activamente en las protestas contra el gobierno. (They actively participated in the protests against the government.)

Nosotros participábamos en el concurso de baile todos los años. (We used to participate in the dance competition every year.)

TĂş participabas en los juegos tradicionales de tu pueblo. (You used to participate in the traditional games of your town.)

Vosotros participabais en las actividades culturales del barrio. (You all used to participate in the cultural activities of the neighborhood.)

Ella participaba en las clases de yoga los fines de semana. (She used to participate in yoga classes on weekends.)

Ustedes participaban en los torneos de fĂştbol de la ciudad. (You all used to participate in the city’s soccer tournaments.)

Yo participaba en las reuniones familiares durante las fiestas. (I used to participate in family gatherings during holidays.)

Ellos participaban en los debates polĂ­ticos en la universidad. (They used to participate in political debates at the university.)

Nosotros participábamos en los talleres de arte en el centro comunitario. (We used to participate in art workshops at the community center.)

TĂş participabas en las actividades de voluntariado de tu iglesia. (You used to participate in the volunteer activities of your church.)

Vosotros participabais en los festivales de mĂşsica locales. (You all used to participate in local music festivals.)

Ella participaba en las reuniones de la asociaciĂłn de vecinos. (She used to participate in the neighborhood association meetings.)

Ustedes participaban en los eventos deportivos de la empresa. (You all used to participate in the company’s sports events.)

Yo participaba en las clases de cocina los fines de semana. (I used to participate in cooking classes on weekends.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Participar (to participate) in the Imperfect Tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

Spanish English
Yo participaba I was participating
TĂş participabas You were participating
Él / Ella / Usted participaba He / She / You (formal) was participating
Nosotros / Nosotras participábamos We were participating
Vosotros / Vosotras participabais You all were participating
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes participaban They / You all (formal) were participating

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.