Spanish grammar
Jugaba, vivía, íbamos
Talk about childhood habits.
From the scene Cuando era pequeña (When I was little)
In short
For past habits, use the imperfect: -aba for -ar verbs, -ía for -er / -ir verbs. Ir becomes iba.
- I used to play jugaba
- I used to live vivía
- we used to go íbamos
- there was / were había
Your turn
Which one goes with I used to live?
Options: jugaba · íbamos · vivía
Show answer
I used to live → vivía
How it works
For things you used to do again and again (childhood habits) use the imperfect: -aba/-abas for -ar verbs, -ía/-ías for -er/-ir verbs.
Good to know
Ir is irregular: iba, ibas, íbamos.
I used to play jugaba
Nuria
Jugaba en la calle con mis primos.
I used to play in the street with my cousins.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
(blank) en la calle con mis primos.
Options: Íbamos · Jugaba · Vivía
Show answer
Nuria
Jugaba en la calle con mis primos.
I used to play in the street with my cousins.
I used to live vivía
Nuria
De pequeña, vivía en un pueblo de Galicia.
As a child, I lived in a village in Galicia.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
De pequeña, (blank) en un pueblo de Galicia.
Options: vivía · jugaba · íbamos
Show answer
Nuria
De pequeña, vivía en un pueblo de Galicia.
As a child, I lived in a village in Galicia.
we used to go íbamos
Nuria
Los domingos, íbamos a la playa.
On Sundays, we used to go to the beach.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Los domingos, (blank) a la playa.
Options: vivía · íbamos · jugaba
Show answer
Nuria
Los domingos, íbamos a la playa.
On Sundays, we used to go to the beach.
there was / were había
Nuria
No, era muy pequeño. Pero había muchos animales.
No, it was very small. But there were lots of animals.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
No, era muy pequeño. Pero (blank) muchos animales.
Options: vivía · había · jugaba
Show answer
Nuria
No, era muy pequeño. Pero había muchos animales.
No, it was very small. But there were lots of animals.
Common mistake
Not vivo or viví here. I used to live.
De pequeña, vivía en un pueblo de Galicia.
As a child, I lived in a village in Galicia.
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| I used to play | jugaba |
|---|---|
| I used to live | vivía |
| we used to go | íbamos |
| there was / were | había |
More lines from the story
- ElenaYo también jugaba en la calle. ¡Y ya espiaba a los vecinos!I used to play in the street too. And I already spied on the neighbours!
- NuriaHabía vacas en la calle y un gato en cada casa.There were cows in the street and a cat in every house.