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Conjugation Chart

“Responder” (to answer) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Responder”

The Imperfect Tense of responder is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo respondía a los correos electrónicos todas las mañanas. (I used to reply to emails every morning.)

Responder is a regular -er verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the regular pattern for this verb type.

How to Use Responder in the Imperfect Tense

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

Answering or replying: For example, Cuando era niño, siempre respondía a las preguntas de mis maestros. (When I was a child, I always answered my teachers’ questions.)

Responding or reacting: For example, Mi cuerpo no respondía bien al medicamento. (My body did not respond well to the medication.)

Corresponding or matching: For example, Los colores de la decoración no respondían a los del evento. (The colors of the decor did not match those of the event.)

Being responsible or accountable (coloquial): For example, Tenía que responder por mis acciones ante mis padres. (I had to answer for my actions to my parents.)

Defending or standing up for someone (coloquial): For example, Siempre respondía por mi hermano menor cuando se metía en problemas. (I always stood up for my younger brother when he got into trouble.)

Real Life Examples of Responder in the Imperfect Tense

Yo respondía a todas las preguntas en clase. (I used to answer all the questions in class.)

Ella respondía con amabilidad a los clientes. (She would respond politely to customers.)

Nosotros respondíamos a los correos electrónicos rápidamente. (We used to respond to emails quickly.)

Tú respondías con sarcasmo a veces. (You would respond with sarcasm sometimes.)

Ellos respondían con evasivas cuando no querían hablar del tema. (They would respond evasively when they didn’t want to talk about the subject.)

¿Respondías al teléfono con un saludo formal? (Would you answer the phone with a formal greeting?)

Mi hermano respondía con groserías cuando se enojaba. (My brother would respond with profanity when he got angry.)

En la reunión, respondíamos a las preocupaciones de los empleados. (In the meeting, we would respond to the employees’ concerns.)

Cuando era niño, respondía con timidez a los adultos. (When I was a child, I would respond shyly to adults.)

Mis padres respondían con paciencia a mis preguntas interminables. (My parents would respond patiently to my endless questions.)

El político respondía con evasivas a las preguntas incómodas. (The politician would respond evasively to uncomfortable questions.)

En la entrevista, respondía con confianza a todas las preguntas. (In the interview, I would respond confidently to all the questions.)

Cuando estaba enojado, respondía sin pensar. (When I was angry, I would respond without thinking.)

Ella respondía con humor a las bromas pesadas. (She would respond with humor to the heavy jokes.)

En la clase de idiomas, respondíamos en español a las preguntas del profesor. (In the language class, we would respond in Spanish to the teacher’s questions.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Responder (to answer) in the Imperfect Tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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.