Learn llamar conjugation in Pretérito Imperfecto step by step with detailed explanations

Image of llamar conjugation in Pretérito Imperfecto

llamar means: to call

In this lesson we will see how to conjugate the verb llamar in the Pretérito Imperfecto tense of the Indicativo mood. It means we will see step by step how to get the following conjugation:

yo	llamaba	I called
tú	llamabas	you called
él/ella/usted	llamaba	he/she/it called
nosotros/nosotras	llamábamos	we called
vosotros/vosotras	llamabais	you called
ellos/ellas/ustedes	llamaban	they called

This lesson is specifically about the llamar verb conjugation. For an overview of all the Simple Tenses conjugation see our Simple Tenses Conjugation Chart.

We also have a Video Presentation on how to conjugate verbs in Pretérito Imperfecto. It’s embedded on the right, but using the above link you can get additional information on conjugation in this tense and explanation of special cases and exceptions.

How to translate Pretérito Imperfecto to English

Notice that the English phrases in the third column of the above conjugation table are not direct translations from Spanish to English. They are usually the closest general equivalents. The example differences are:

In Spanish, there is the form usted in the third person singular. But this person does not translate to the English third person singular. It translates to the so called formal you and uses the inflected form which is most often represented as he/she/it in English conjugation charts.
Similar situation happens in the third person plural, where ustedes translates to the English plural formal you but uses the form which corresponds to the they form in English.
Tenses are used differently in Spanish and English, so the actual translation should always take into account the context and focus on translating the meaning, not just words.
In both languages each verb may have multiple meanings and not every meaning translates directly to the other language. Here also, the context and focusing on the particular meaning helps to create the most accurate translation.

Note the timeline

The ability to correctly locate the desired position on the timeline is an important skill for the right use of tenses. So pay attention to the timeline in our lessons and visualize it while listening, speaking, reading or writing. After a bit practice you will be capable of selecting the right tense to use much easier. timeline preterito imperfecto how to conjugate spanish verbs

timeline preterito imperfecto how to conjugate spanish verbs

Step by step instructions

Pretérito Imperfecto belongs to the simple tenses group, which means that all of the conjugated forms are one word long. There are also compound (compuesto) tenses in the Spanish language, where each conjugated form consists of two words.

The verb llamar has a completely regular conjugation in the Pretérito Imperfecto tense of the Indicativo mood. It means this verb follows the general rules for its group (-ar) without spelling corrections or exceptions. This tense is really easy, because there are only three exceptions!

The basis for this conjugation is the stem of the verb, so we start by splitting the infinitive into a stem and an ending. It’s very easy to do. Just remove two letters from the end of the infinitive form and you have the ending — one of -ar, -er or -ir. What’s left is the stem.

So in case of the verb llamar it’s easy to see that:

the stem is: llam-
and the ending is: -ar

Use the stem llam- in each person as the basis for conjugations, the common prefix that each of the forms begins with.

endings preterito imperfecto ar how to conjugate spanish verbs

Next, add to this regular stem the endings specific to each person. Analyze the image showing all six endings. Note the shapes and colors of the letters. They are arranged to help you find patterns and make it easier to remember these endings.

Each grammatical person has a specific ending in each of the three conjugation groups -ar, -er, -ir.

Add the regular ending -aba for the first person singular to create llamaba:

yo llamaba

Similarly add the regular ending -abas for the second person singular to create llamabas:

tú llamabas

Similarly add the regular ending -aba for the third person singular to create llamaba:

él llamaba
ella llamaba
usted llamaba

And one more time add the regular ending -ábamos for the first person plural to create llamábamos.

Note difference in spelling

Only the first person plural has an accent here.

This difference exists only in case of the verbs from the -ar group. Other groups always have an accented i in the ending in this tense.

So add the accent to get llamábamos:

nosotros llamábamos
nosotras llamábamos

Again add the regular ending -abais for the second person plural to create llamabais:

vosotros llamabais
vosotras llamabais

Once more add the regular ending -aban for the third person plural to create llamaban:

ellos llamaban
ellas llamaban
ustedes llamaban

This is it! The conjugation is now complete. But don’t end your session yet – it is very important to repeat and practice the material in order to retain it. Check below for some links.

Next Steps

To practice this conjugation and test your knowledge check this Conjugation Exercise or the Memory Game
To see other conjugation lessons for this verb choose another tense:
For exercises and examples related to llamar visit our Exercise section
To see conjugation charts in all tenses for llamar visit the Conjugator
To explore other learning materials visit the Study section