The Imperfect Tense of rezar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Rezaba todas las noches antes de dormir. (I used to pray every night before going to bed.)
Rezar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Rezar (to pray) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
Pronoun | Conjugation |
---|---|
Yo | rezaba |
Tú | rezabas |
Él / Ella / Usted | rezaba |
Nosotros / Nosotras | rezábamos |
Vosotros / Vosotras | rezabais |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | rezaban |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Rezar (to pray) 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 Rezar in the Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense of rezar is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past.
Praying: For example, Cuando era niño, rezaba todas las noches antes de dormir. (When I was a child, I used to pray every night before going to bed.)
Reciting: For example, Los estudiantes rezaban poemas en la clase de literatura. (The students recited poems in literature class.)
Begging or pleading (colloquial): For example, Le rezaba a mi jefe que me diera un aumento. (I begged my boss to give me a raise.)
Insisting or nagging (colloquial, rude): For example, Mi hermana siempre me rezaba para que la llevara de compras. (My sister was always nagging me to take her shopping.)
Examples
Examples of Rezar in the Imperfect Tense
Yo rezaba todas las noches antes de dormir. (I used to pray every night before going to bed.)
Cuando era niño, rezaba el rosario con mi abuela. (When I was a child, I used to pray the rosary with my grandmother.)
Ella rezaba por la salud de su familia. (She used to pray for her family’s health.)
Nosotros rezábamos juntos en la iglesia los domingos. (We used to pray together at church on Sundays.)
Ellos rezaban antes de cada comida. (They used to pray before every meal.)
Tú rezabas por tener éxito en tus exámenes. (You used to pray to succeed in your exams.)
Ustedes rezaban por la paz en el mundo. (You all used to pray for world peace.)
Él rezaba en silencio mientras caminaba. (He used to pray silently while walking.)
Vosotros rezabais antes de cada partido de fútbol. (You all used to pray before every soccer game.)
Mis padres rezaban por mi bienestar. (My parents used to pray for my well-being.)
Yo rezaba para encontrar un buen trabajo. (I used to pray to find a good job.)
Ellas rezaban por la recuperación de su amiga enferma. (They used to pray for their sick friend’s recovery.)
Tú rezabas en voz baja durante la misa. (You used to pray quietly during mass.)
Nosotros rezábamos el rosario en familia. (We used to pray the rosary as a family.)
Vosotros rezabais por la lluvia durante la sequía. (You all used to pray for rain during the drought.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Rezar (to pray) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
Yo rezaba | I was praying |
Tú rezabas | You were praying |
Él / Ella / Usted rezaba | He / She / You (formal) was praying |
Nosotros / Nosotras rezábamos | We were praying |
Vosotros / Vosotras rezabais | You all were praying |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes rezaban | They / You all (formal) were praying |
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.