The Imperfect Tense of robar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo robaba dulces de la cocina cuando era niño. (I used to steal candy from the kitchen when I was a child.)

Robar is a regular -ar verb, so its Imperfect Tense conjugations follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Robar (to steal) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

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

Stealing or taking something without permission: For example, Cuando era niño, robaba dulces de la tienda. (When I was a child, I used to steal candy from the store.) This meaning can also extend to more figurative uses, like El actor robó la atención del público. (The actor stole the audience’s attention.)

Colloquial usage: In informal contexts, robar can mean “to cheat” or “to rip someone off,” as in Me robaron en ese negocio, los precios eran muy altos. (They ripped me off at that business, the prices were too high.) It can also mean “to outperform” or “to outshine,” like Robaste el espectáculo con tu actuación. (You stole the show with your performance.)

Idiomatic expressions: There are a few idiomatic expressions involving robar, such as robar el corazón (to steal someone’s heart) and robar la cartera (to pick someone’s pocket).

Examples

Examples of Robar in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, robaba dulces de la despensa. (When I was a child, I used to steal candy from the pantry.)

Mi hermano robaba dinero de la cartera de mamá. (My brother used to steal money from mom’s wallet.)

Los ladrones robaban coches caros en esa zona. (The thieves used to steal expensive cars in that area.)

Vosotros robabais fruta del huerto del vecino. (You all used to steal fruit from the neighbor’s orchard.)

Ellos robaban en tiendas para vender lo robado. (They used to shoplift in stores to sell the stolen goods.)

Tú robabas lápices y borradores en la escuela. (You used to steal pencils and erasers at school.)

Nosotros robábamos galletas de la cocina cuando teníamos hambre. (We used to steal cookies from the kitchen when we were hungry.)

Ella robaba maquillaje de las tiendas de belleza. (She used to steal makeup from beauty stores.)

Ustedes robaban revistas de la biblioteca. (You all used to steal magazines from the library.)

Yo robaba dinero de la alcancía de mis padres. (I used to steal money from my parents’ piggy bank.)

Los delincuentes robaban carteras y bolsos en el centro comercial. (The criminals used to steal wallets and purses at the mall.)

Vosotros robabais chicles de la tienda de la esquina. (You all used to steal gum from the corner store.)

Ellas robaban ropa de las tiendas departamentales. (They used to shoplift clothes from department stores.)

Tú robabas herramientas del garaje de tu padre. (You used to steal tools from your father’s garage.)

Nosotros robábamos comida del refrigerador cuando teníamos hambre. (We used to steal food from the fridge when we were hungry.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Robar (to steal) 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.