Gustar (to please) · Imperfect
By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated
Gustar in the Spanish imperfect (pretérito imperfecto) is: yo gustaba, tú gustabas, él/ella/usted gustaba, nosotros/as gustábamos, vosotros/as gustabais, ellos/ellas/ustedes gustaban. The imperfect of gustar describes ongoing or habitual past liking — 'me gustaba el chocolate de niño' = 'I used to like chocolate as a child'. Gustar is fully regular in the imperfect.
| To Like | Gustar |
|---|---|
| I used to like | yo gustaba |
| you used to like | tú gustabas |
| he/she used to like | él/ella/usted gustaba |
| we used to like | nosotros/as gustábamos |
| you used to like | vosotros/as gustabais |
| they used to like | ellos/ellas/ustedes gustaban |
Gustar (to please) in context
Sentences that use gustar in the imperfect. Tap each to hear it.
When I was young, many boys liked me. (lit. I used to please many boys.)
I liked you when you had long hair.
As a child, I really liked chocolate.
People liked us a lot as a couple.
Your grandmother liked you more than anyone.
I used to like old movies.
Working with the imperfect
The imperfect paints the background of a past scene: weather, age, habits, descriptions, ongoing actions that get interrupted. "Era de noche" (it was nighttime), "tenía cinco años" (I was five years old), "iba al parque cuando me llamaste" (I was going to the park when you called me). Only three verbs are irregular in the imperfect — ser (era), ir (iba), and ver (veía). Every other Spanish verb is regular here, which makes the imperfect one of the easiest tenses to learn.
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate gustar in the imperfect?
When do I use 'gustaba' instead of 'gustó'?
Can I say 'me gustaba mucho' about a recent experience?
Practice Gustar (To Please) in real conversations
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