The past progressive tense might be the most commonly used past tense conjugation for Estar (to be). In this article, I'm going to show you how to identify this tense and how to use it.
Afterward, I’ll give you a bunch of example sentences - and even a story that utilizes this tense a ton so you can master it before leaving this article.
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Summary: The Past Progressive Tense In Spanish
The Past Progressive Tense is best understood by examples - because we use it every day in English. The sentence “I was running yesterday when you called me” is using the past progressive tense. This sentence would be “Yo estaba corriendo ayer cuando me llamaste”.
The IR & ER verbs most commonly end in “iendo”
The AR verbs most commonly end in “ando”
The way that you use the past progressive is by using the verb Estar (To be) in the imperfect tense (Estaba/Estabas/Estaban/Estábamos) and adding a verb in the Progressive Tense. For example:
AR Verbs - “ando”
Hablar (Speak) - Yo Estaba Hablando [I was speaking]
IR & ER Verbs - “iendo”
Escribir (Write) - Ella Estaba Escribiendo [She was writing]
Beber (Drink) - Ellos Estaban Bebiendo [They were drinking]
What Is The Past Progressive & How To Identify It
The progressive tense in Spanish is the equivalent of “ing words” in English, for example: Running, Talking, and Laughing.
So the past progressive are these words in the past tense, such as “I was running” or “I was talking”.
The great part about this tense is that we have the same concept in English, and it works practically the exact same! To identify the Past Progressive Tense in Spanish - look for verbs ending in the following forms:
Verb Type | Verb Ending For Past Progressive |
AR | ando |
ER | iendo |
IR | iendo |
Examples Of The Past Pogressive Form
(IR) Verb | Verb In The Past Progressive Tense |
Escribir (Write) | (Yo) Estaba corriendo |
Vivir (Live) | (Tú) Estabas viviendo |
Abrir (Open) | (Ella) Estaba abriendo |
Compartir (Share) | (Ellos) Estaban compartiendo |
Dormir (Sleep) | (Nosotros) Estábamos durmiendo |
(ER) Verb | Verb In The Past Progressive Tense |
Correr (Run) | (Yo) Estaba corriendo |
Comer (Eat) | (Tu) Estabas comiendo |
Aprender (Learn) | (Ella) Estaba aprendiendo |
Beber (Drink) | (Ellos) Estaban bebiendo |
Responder (Respond) | (Nosotros) Estábamos respondiendo |
(AR) Verb | Verb In The Past Progressive Tense |
Hablar (Speak) | (Yo) Estaba hablando |
Cantar (Sing) | (Tu) Estabas cantando |
Trabajar (Work) | (El) Estaba trabajando |
Llegar (Arrive) | (Ellos) Estaban llegando |
Visitar (Visit) | (Nosotros) Estábamos visitando |
Common Irregular Verbs In The Past Progressive Tense
Some words don’t follow the normal rules, here are the most common ones you’ll see. The most distinct ones like “Yendo” are easy to remember - due to how different they are.
What becomes trickiest for learners are the ones that don't change much, for example: Some learners will say “Sentiendo” (Sentir) when the word is “Sintiendo”, or they’ll say “Dormiendo” instead of “Durmiendo”.
Pay attention to these tricky ones, they’ll probably screw with you every once and a while
Ir (To go) | Yendo |
Leer (To read) | Leyendo |
Creer (To believe) | Creyendo |
Oír (To hear) | Oyendo |
Seguir (To follow) | Siguiendo |
Dormir (To sleep) | Durmiendo |
Divertir (To have fun) | Divirtiendo |
Sentir (To feel) | Sintiendo |
Ver (To see) | Viendo |
Servir (To serve) | Sirviendo |
How To Use The Past Progressive Tense
Brief intro about how it’s practically the same as the ingles tense + use it for interrupted actions.
Subject + Estar (IMPERFECT TENSE) + Verb In The Progressive Form
Yo + Estaba + Comiendo
I + was + eating
Subject | Imperfect Forms Of Estar |
Yo | Estaba |
Tú/Vos | Estabas |
Él/Ella/Usted | Estaba |
Nosotros | Estábamos |
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | Estaban |
Vosotros (Spain) | Estabais |
Examples That Use The Past Progressive Tense In Spanish
Estaba comiendo cuando llegaste.
(I was eating when you arrived.)
Estabas durmiendo cuando sonó el teléfono.
(You were sleeping when the phone rang.)
Él estaba estudiando mientras yo veía la televisión.
(He was studying while I was watching TV.)
Estábamos caminando por el parque cuando comenzó a llover.
(We were walking in the park when it started raining.)
Estabais hablando muy fuerte y no pude concentrarme.
(You all were speaking very loudly, and I couldn't concentrate.)
Los niños estaban jugando en el jardín cuando se puso el sol.
(The children were playing in the garden when the sunset.)
Ella estaba bailando en el escenario durante la presentación.
(She was dancing on the stage during the performance.)
Short Story To Practice Reading/Seeing The Past Progressive Tense In Spanish
Había una vez una niña llamada Ana. Estaba caminando por el bosque cuando escuchó un ruido extraño. Se detuvo y se dio cuenta de que algo se movía entre los árboles. Ana estaba sintiendo curiosidad, así que decidió acercarse para ver qué era.
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Ana. She was walking through the forest when she heard a strange noise. She stopped and realized that something was moving among the trees. Ana was feeling curious, so she decided to approach and see what it was.
Mientras se acercaba, el ruido se volvía más fuerte. Estaba imaginando qué tipo de criatura podría estar escondida allí. Estaba respirando lentamente, tratando de no hacer ruido para no asustarla.
As she was getting closer, the noise grew louder. She was imagining what kind of creature could be hiding there. She was breathing slowly, trying not to make any noise to avoid scaring it.
De repente, una ardilla saltó de un árbol cercano. Estaba correteando por el suelo y recolectando nueces. Ana estaba sonriendo mientras observaba a la ardilla en acción.
Suddenly, a squirrel jumped from a nearby tree. It was scurrying on the ground, collecting nuts. Ana was smiling as she watched the squirrel in action.
Mientras continuaba caminando, Ana notó que el cielo se oscurecía rápidamente. Estaba empezando a llover. Ana estaba buscando refugio, pero no encontraba nada cercano.
As she continued walking, Ana noticed that the sky was quickly darkening. It was starting to rain. Ana was looking for shelter, but she couldn't find anything nearby.
En ese momento, un zorro apareció y se acercó a ella. Estaba llevando una hoja grande en su boca. Ana estaba sorprendida y se preguntaba qué estaba haciendo el zorro con esa hoja.
At that moment, a fox appeared and approached her. It was carrying a large leaf in its mouth. Ana was surprised and wondered what the fox was doing with that leaf.
El zorro estaba construyendo un pequeño refugio bajo un árbol. Ana estaba ayudando al zorro a construirlo mientras la lluvia caía. Estaban trabajando juntos, compartiendo una conexión especial con la naturaleza.
The fox was building a small shelter under a tree. Ana was helping the fox build it while the rain was falling. They were working together, sharing a special connection with nature.
Al final, el refugio estaba terminado y ambos se resguardaron de la lluvia. Ana estaba agradecida por la presencia del zorro y por la experiencia que compartieron en ese momento mágico en el bosque.
In the end, the shelter was finished, and they both took refuge from the rain. Ana was grateful for the presence of the fox and for the experience, they shared in that magical moment in the forest.
Así termina la historia de Ana y el zorro, quienes estaban descubriendo el poder del trabajo en equipo mientras el pasado progresivo los envolvía en una aventura inolvidable.
And so ends the story of Ana and the fox, who were discovering the power of teamwork as the past progress enveloped them in an unforgettable adventure.
List Of The 50 Most Common Verbs In The Past Progressive
Ser (to be) | Estaba siendo |
Tener (to have) | Estaba teniendo |
Hacer (to do, to make) | Estaba haciendo |
Ir (to go) | Estaba yendo |
Ver (to see) | Estaba viendo |
Saber (to know) | Estaba sabiendo |
Querer (to want, to love) | Estaba queriendo |
Decir (to say, to tell) | Estaba diciendo |
Dar (to give) | Estaba dando |
Venir (to come) | Estaba viniendo |
Gustar (to think) | Estaba gustando |
Vivir (to live) | Estaba viviendo |
Pensar (to think) | Estaba pensando |
Sentir (to feel) | Estaba sintiendo |
Comer (to eat) | Estaba comiendo |
Tomar (to take, to drink) | Estaba tomando |
Dormir (to sleep) | Estaba durmiendo |
Conocer (to know, to be familiar with) | Estaba conociendo |
Trabajar (to work) | Estaba trabajando |
Estudiar (to study) | Estaba estudiando |
Aprender (to learn) | Estaba aprendiendo |
Escuchar (to listen) | Estaba escuchando |
Mirar (to look, to watch) | Estaba mirando |
Leer (to read) | Estaba leyendo |
Escribir (to write) | Estaba Escribiendo |
Hablar (to speak, to talk) | Estaba hablando |
Caminar (to walk) | Estaba caminando |
Correr (to run) | Estaba corriendo |
Creer (to believe) | Estaba creyendo |
Esperar (to wait, to hope) | Estaba esperando |
Encontrar (to find) | Estaba encontrando |
Poner (to put, to place) | Estaba poniendo |
Salir (to go out, to leave) | Estaba saliendo |
Llegar (to arrive) | Estaba llegando |
Comprar (to buy) | Estaba comprando |
Vender (to sell) | Estaba vendiendo |
Oír (to hear) | Estaba oyendo |
Viajar (to travel) | Estaba viajando |
Bailar (to dance) | Estaba bailando |
Cantar (to sing) | Estaba cantando |
Nadar (to swim) | Estaba nadando |
Conducir (to drive) | Estaba conduciendo |
Comprender (to understand) | Estaba Comprendiendo |
Cuidar (to take care of) | Estaba Cuidando |
Ayudar (to help) | Estaba ayudando |
Cambiar (to change) | Estaba cambiando |
Conocer (to meet, to get to know) | Estaba conociendo |
Llevar (to carry, to wear) | Estaba llevando |
Provocar (to provoke) | Estaba provocando |
Preguntar (to ask) | Estaba preguntando |
Conclusion: Past Progressive Tense In Spanish
The past progressive tense in Spanish is relatively easy to learn. Not only is it quite simple, but once we learn it - it will help us learn the present progressive and the future progressive tenses.
The past progressive tense shows that one was completing an action at a certain point in time - for example in the sentence: Yo te estaba llamando ayer (I was calling you yesterday)
How Does The Past Progressive Tense Look?
The IR verbs most commonly will end in “iendo” [Estaba escribiendo - I was writing]
The ER verbs most commonly will end in “iendo” [Estaba bebiendo - I was drinking]
The AR verbs most commonly will end in “ando” [Estaba caminando - I was walking]
If you want more short (and free) Spanish lessons - check out this category where I write short Spanish grammar and vocab lessons for you!
Have a great day/evening/night!
¡Hasta luego!
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