The Imperfect Tense of Soñar is used to describe ongoing or repeated dreams in the past, for example: De niño, yo soñaba con ser astronauta. (As a child, I dreamed of being an astronaut.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Soñar (to dream) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

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

Dreaming or imagining: Por ejemplo, de niño soñaba con ser astronauta. (As a child, I dreamed of being an astronaut.) This meaning can also extend to daydreaming or fantasizing about something, like soñaba con ganar la lotería. (I dreamed of winning the lottery.)

Hoping or wishing: For example, soñaba con que me dieran el trabajo. (I hoped they would give me the job.) This usage implies a strong desire for something to happen.

Sleeping and dreaming: For example, anoche soñé que volaba. (Last night I dreamed that I was flying.) This refers to literal dreams experienced while sleeping.

Imagining or fantasizing (colloquial): For example, ¡Ni soñarlo! No te voy a prestar dinero. (Dream on! I’m not going to lend you money.) This idiomatic usage expresses disbelief or rejection of an unrealistic idea.

Examples

Examples of Soñar in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, soñaba con ser astronauta y viajar al espacio. (When I was a child, I dreamed of being an astronaut and traveling to space.)

Mi abuela soñaba con visitar Italia antes de fallecer. (My grandmother dreamed of visiting Italy before she passed away.)

Ellos soñaban con ganar la lotería y dejar sus trabajos. (They dreamed of winning the lottery and quitting their jobs.)

Yo soñaba con tener una familia grande y feliz. (I dreamed of having a big, happy family.)

Nosotros soñábamos con comprar una casa en la playa. (We dreamed of buying a house on the beach.)

Ella soñaba con ser una cantante famosa de reguetón. (She dreamed of being a famous reggaeton singer.)

Tú soñabas con viajar por todo el mundo, ¿no? (You dreamed of traveling all over the world, didn’t you?)

En la universidad, soñaba con ser un empresario exitoso. (In college, I dreamed of being a successful entrepreneur.)

Mis padres soñaban con que me graduara de la universidad. (My parents dreamed of me graduating from university.)

¿Soñabas con ser futbolista profesional de chico? (Did you dream of being a professional soccer player as a kid?)

Ella soñaba con tener su propio negocio de repostería. (She dreamed of having her own bakery business.)

Soñábamos con ganar suficiente dinero para viajar por Latinoamérica. (We dreamed of earning enough money to travel around Latin America.)

De joven, soñaba con ser un artista reconocido. (As a youth, I dreamed of being a renowned artist.)

Mis amigos y yo soñábamos con tener una banda de rock exitosa. (My friends and I dreamed of having a successful rock band.)

Ella soñaba con escribir una novela bestseller algún día. (She dreamed of writing a bestselling novel one day.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Soñar (to dream) in the Imperfect Tense 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.