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Conjugation Chart

“Volver” (to return) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Volver”

The Imperfect Tense of volver is used to describe continuous or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo volvía a casa todos los días a las seis. (I used to return home every day at six.)

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

How to Use Volver in the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of volver is used to describe continuous or repeated actions in the past.

Returning or going back: For example, Cuando era niño, volvía a casa después de la escuela. (When I was a child, I would go back home after school.)

Happening again: For example, El dolor de cabeza me volvía cada vez que estudiaba demasiado. (The headache would come back every time I studied too much.)

Becoming again: For example, En el invierno, el lago se volvía a congelar. (In winter, the lake would freeze over again.)

Repeating an action: For example, Volvía a llamarle una y otra vez. (I would call him over and over again.)

Recovering: For example, Después de la gripe, volvía poco a poco a la normalidad. (After the flu, I would gradually return to normal.)

Turning or facing (colloquial): For example, Cada vez que pasaba un chico guapo, volvía la cabeza para mirarle. (Whenever a good-looking guy passed by, she would turn her head to look at him.)

Real Life Examples of Volver in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, volvía a casa después de la escuela para jugar con mis amigos. (When I was a child, I would come back home after school to play with my friends.)

Mis padres volvían del trabajo muy tarde por las noches. (My parents would come back from work very late at night.)

¿Volvías a tu pueblo natal durante las vacaciones? (Would you come back to your hometown during the holidays?)

Ellos volvían de sus viajes con muchas historias interesantes. (They would come back from their trips with many interesting stories.)

Siempre volvía a la misma cafetería porque me encantaba su ambiente acogedor. (I would always come back to the same cafe because I loved its cozy atmosphere.)

Después de una larga ausencia, volvíamos a nuestro hogar con nostalgia. (After a long absence, we would come back to our home with nostalgia.)

Cada verano, volvían a la playa para disfrutar del sol y el mar. (Every summer, they would come back to the beach to enjoy the sun and the sea.)

Cuando volvías del trabajo, ¿te relajabas viendo la televisión? (When you would come back from work, would you relax by watching TV?)

Mis abuelos volvían a contar las mismas historias una y otra vez. (My grandparents would come back to telling the same stories over and over again.)

Después de las vacaciones, volvíamos a la rutina con energía renovada. (After the holidays, we would come back to our routine with renewed energy.)

Cada vez que volvía a ese lugar, me invadían recuerdos de mi infancia. (Every time I would come back to that place, memories of my childhood would flood me.)

Aunque volvían tarde, mis padres siempre encontraban tiempo para estar con nosotros. (Even though they would come back late, my parents always found time to be with us.)

¿Volvías a leer tus libros favoritos de vez en cuando? (Would you come back to reading your favorite books from time to time?)

Después de un día agotador, volvía a casa ansiando un momento de tranquilidad. (After an exhausting day, I would come back home longing for a moment of peace.)

Mis amigos y yo volvíamos al mismo bar los fines de semana para divertirnos. (My friends and I would come back to the same bar on weekends to have fun.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Volver (to return) in the Imperfect 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.