Acabar imperfect conjugation
Acabar in the imperfect: acababa, acababas, acababa, acabábamos, acababais, acababan.
- to finish; to end; to have just (done)
- regular
- Participle: acabado
- Gerund: acabando
Imperfect imperfecto
| yo | acababa |
|---|---|
| tú | acababas |
| él/ella/usted | acababa |
| nosotros | acabábamos |
| vosotros | acababais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | acababan |
How to use acabar in the imperfect
The imperfect is regular: acababa, acababas, acabábamos, acababan. Its key use is acababa de + infinitive, meaning 'had just done': acababa de salir cuando empezó a llover. This is the past version of acabo de, and it sets up a scene that another event in the preterite interrupts. It also describes how things used to end: las clases acababan a las dos.
Examples
Acababa de salir de la junta cuando me llamaste.
I had just come out of the meeting when you called me.
Acabábamos de cenar cuando llegaron las visitas.
We had just finished dinner when the guests arrived.
Las clases siempre acababan a las dos.
Classes always ended at two.
Quick check: acabar in the imperfect
More acabar tenses
- All acabar tenses
- Acabar present
- Acabar preterite
- Acabar future
- Acabar conditional
- Acabar present subjunctive
- Acabar affirmative commands
Other verbs in the imperfect
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