Hacer (to do) · Imperfect
By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated
Hacer in the Spanish imperfect (pretérito imperfecto) is: yo hacía, tú hacías, él/ella/usted hacía, nosotros/as hacíamos, vosotros/as hacíais, ellos/ellas/ustedes hacían. The imperfect of hacer describes habitual or ongoing past actions — what you 'used to do' regularly — and past weather conditions ('hacía frío'). Unlike the preterite, the imperfect of hacer is fully regular.
| To Do | Hacer |
|---|---|
| I used to do | yo hacía |
| you used to do | tú hacías |
| he/she used to do | él/ella/usted hacía |
| we used to do | nosotros/as hacíamos |
| you used to do | vosotros/as hacíais |
| they used to do | ellos/ellas/ustedes hacían |
Hacer (to do) in context
Sentences that use hacer in the imperfect. Tap each to hear it.
When I was young, I did a lot of sports.
You used to cheat when we played chess.
It was very hot that summer.
We used to make cookies with grandma.
You used to make too much noise in class.
The children were drawing on the floor.
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 hacer in the imperfect?
Why is hacer regular in the imperfect when it's irregular everywhere else?
When do I use 'hacía' instead of 'hice'?
Practice Hacer (To Do) in real conversations
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