The Imperfect Tense of prever is used to describe actions that were ongoing or repeated in the past, for example, Yo preveía los problemas que surgirían en el futuro. (I foresaw the problems that would arise in the future.)

Prever follows the standard conjugation pattern for verbs ending in -er in the Imperfect Tense, with the ending -ía added to the stem.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Prever (to foresee) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The imperfect tense of prever is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.

To foresee or anticipate: For example, Yo preveía que iba a llover. (I foresaw that it was going to rain.) This meaning suggests having an intuition or expectation about something that would happen in the future.

To plan or prepare in advance: For example, Preveíamos todas las posibles contingencias. (We anticipated all possible contingencies.) This usage implies taking precautions or making arrangements ahead of time.

To provide or supply (colloquial): For example, Preveía a mis amigos con cervezas para la fiesta. (I supplied my friends with beers for the party.) In this informal sense, it means to stock up or equip someone with something in advance.

Examples

Examples of Prever in the Imperfect Tense

Yo preveía que la tormenta sería fuerte, así que me quedé en casa. (I foresaw that the storm would be strong, so I stayed home.)

Ellos preveían que los precios subirían, por eso compraron con anticipación. (They foresaw that prices would rise, so they bought in advance.)

Tú preveías el éxito del nuevo producto, pero nadie te creyó. (You foresaw the success of the new product, but no one believed you.)

Nosotros preveíamos que el tráfico estaría pesado, así que salimos temprano. (We foresaw that traffic would be heavy, so we left early.)

Vosotros preveíais que la película sería aburrida, pero al final os gustó. (You foresaw that the movie would be boring, but in the end you liked it.)

Ella preveía que su hijo sería un gran artista desde que era pequeño. (She foresaw that her son would be a great artist since he was little.)

Ustedes preveían que el negocio tendría éxito, por eso invirtieron tanto dinero. (You foresaw that the business would be successful, so you invested so much money.)

Yo preveía que mi amigo llegaría tarde, como siempre. (I foresaw that my friend would be late, as always.)

Ellas preveían que la fiesta sería un desastre, así que no fueron. (They foresaw that the party would be a disaster, so they didn’t go.)

Tú preveías que el equipo perdería el partido, pero aun así los apoyaste. (You foresaw that the team would lose the game, but you still supported them.)

Nosotros preveíamos que el vuelo se retrasaría, por eso llegamos con mucha antelación. (We foresaw that the flight would be delayed, so we arrived well in advance.)

Vosotros preveíais que la situación empeoraría, por eso tomasteis medidas preventivas. (You foresaw that the situation would worsen, so you took preventive measures.)

Él preveía que su hijo sería un gran deportista desde que era un niño. (He foresaw that his son would be a great athlete since he was a child.)

Ustedes preveían que el concierto sería un éxito, por eso compraron las entradas con mucha anticipación. (You foresaw that the concert would be a success, so you bought the tickets well in advance.)

Yo preveía que mi jefe me pediría trabajar horas extras, así que me preparé mentalmente. (I foresaw that my boss would ask me to work overtime, so I mentally prepared myself.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Prever (to foresee) 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.