The Imperfect Tense of quemar is used to describe continuous or repeated actions in the past, for example, Quemaba leña para calentar la casa. (I used to burn wood to heat the house.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Quemar (to burn) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

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

Burning or setting on fire: For example, Cuando era niño, quemaba hojas en el jardín. (When I was a child, I used to burn leaves in the garden.) This meaning can also be used figuratively, such as Quemaba las calorías haciendo ejercicio. (I was burning calories by exercising.)

Causing a burning sensation: For example, El sol me quemaba la piel. (The sun was burning my skin.) This can also refer to emotional or metaphorical burning, like Sus palabras me quemaban. (Their words were burning me.)

Consuming or wasting: For example, Quemaba mucho dinero en apuestas. (I used to burn a lot of money on bets.) This meaning can also imply wasting time or opportunities, like Quemaba las horas jugando videojuegos. (I was burning hours playing video games.)

Overheating or overworking (colloquial): For example, El motor se quemaba en las subidas. (The engine was burning out on the uphill climbs.) This can also refer to overworking oneself, like Me quemaba trabajando tanto. (I was burning myself out working so much.)

Failing or being unsuccessful (slang): For example, Me quemé en el examen. (I failed the exam.) This can also imply being rejected or embarrassed, like Me quemé cuando le pedí salir. (I got burned when I asked them out.)

Examples

Examples of Quemar in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, quemaba hojas secas en el patio trasero. (When I was a child, I used to burn dry leaves in the backyard.)

Mi abuela quemaba velas en la iglesia todos los domingos. (My grandmother would burn candles at church every Sunday.)

El chef quemaba la carne a propósito para darle un sabor ahumado. (The chef deliberately burned the meat to give it a smoked flavor.)

Antes de las elecciones, los manifestantes quemaban banderas en señal de protesta. (Before the elections, protesters were burning flags as a sign of protest.)

En la fogata, quemábamos malvaviscos y contábamos historias de terror. (Around the campfire, we used to burn marshmallows and tell scary stories.)

Cada año, quemaban los campos para preparar la tierra para la siembra. (Every year, they would burn the fields to prepare the land for planting.)

La artista quemaba sus obras de arte como una forma de expresión. (The artist used to burn her artworks as a form of expression.)

Después de la ruptura, él quemaba todas las fotos de su ex-novia. (After the breakup, he would burn all the photos of his ex-girlfriend.)

En la antigüedad, quemaban hierbas aromáticas durante las ceremonias religiosas. (In ancient times, they used to burn aromatic herbs during religious ceremonies.)

Los pirómanos quemaban edificios abandonados por diversión. (Pyromaniacs would burn abandoned buildings for fun.)

Cada invierno, quemábamos leña en la chimenea para calentar la casa. (Every winter, we would burn firewood in the fireplace to heat the house.)

Los manifestantes quemaban neumáticos en las calles para bloquear el tráfico. (The protesters were burning tires in the streets to block traffic.)

En la hoguera, quemábamos los muebles viejos que ya no necesitábamos. (In the bonfire, we used to burn old furniture that we no longer needed.)

Después de terminar sus exámenes, los estudiantes quemaban sus apuntes en celebración. (After finishing their exams, the students would burn their notes in celebration.)

En la playa, quemábamos madera de deriva para mantenernos calientes por la noche. (On the beach, we would burn driftwood to keep warm at night.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Quemar (to burn) 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.