The Imperfect Tense of quebrar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Yo quebraba las ramas secas para hacer una fogata. (I was breaking the dry branches to make a campfire.)
Quebrar is a regular -ar verb, so its Imperfect Tense conjugations follow the typical pattern for that verb type.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Quebrar (to break) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | quebraba |
| Tú | quebrabas |
| Él / Ella / Usted | quebraba |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | quebrábamos |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | quebraban |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Quebrar (to break) in the Imperfect Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Quebrar in the Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense of quebrar is used to describe ongoing, repeated or habitual actions in the past.
To break something: For example, Cuando era niño, yo quebraba muchos platos sin querer. (When I was a child, I used to break many plates unintentionally.)
To go bankrupt: For example, La empresa quebraba cada año por mala administración. (The company went bankrupt every year due to poor management.)
To violate or disobey (a rule or law): For example, Siempre quebrábamos las reglas cuando salíamos de fiesta. (We always used to break the rules when we went out partying.)
To interrupt or disturb (colloquial): For example, Mi hermano me quebraba cada vez que estudiaba. (My brother used to disturb/bother me every time I studied.)
To annoy or bother (colloquial, rude): For example, ¡Deja de quebrarme con tus quejas! (Stop annoying/bothering me with your complaints!)
Examples
Examples of Quebrar in the Imperfect Tense
Yo quebraba las ramas secas para hacer una fogata. (I was breaking the dry branches to make a campfire.)
Ella quebraba los huevos con mucho cuidado para preparar el desayuno. (She was carefully breaking the eggs to prepare breakfast.)
Nosotros quebrabamos las nueces con un cascanueces para disfrutar de su sabor. (We were cracking the nuts with a nutcracker to enjoy their flavor.)
Ellos quebraban las reglas constantemente, lo que causaba problemas. (They were constantly breaking the rules, which caused problems.)
Tú quebrabas mi corazón con tus mentiras y engaños. (You were breaking my heart with your lies and deceptions.)
El equipo quebraba récords de ventas mes tras mes. (The team was breaking sales records month after month.)
La empresa quebraba debido a la mala gestión financiera. (The company was going bankrupt due to poor financial management.)
El atleta quebraba su propio récord en cada competencia. (The athlete was breaking their own record in every competition.)
Los manifestantes quebraban las ventanas de los edificios gubernamentales. (The protesters were breaking the windows of government buildings.)
El niño quebraba sus juguetes sin querer debido a su fuerza. (The child was unintentionally breaking their toys due to their strength.)
La tensión quebraba la relación entre los socios comerciales. (The tension was breaking the relationship between the business partners.)
El criminal quebraba las cerraduras para entrar a las casas. (The criminal was breaking the locks to enter the houses.)
El estudiante quebraba las reglas de la escuela con frecuencia. (The student was frequently breaking the school rules.)
La familia quebraba la tradición al celebrar las fiestas de manera diferente. (The family was breaking tradition by celebrating the holidays differently.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Quebrar (to break) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo quebraba | I was breaking |
| Tú quebrabas | You were breaking |
| Él / Ella / Usted quebraba | He / She / You was breaking |
| Nosotros / Nosotras quebrábamos | We were breaking |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes quebraban | They / You all were breaking |
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.