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Lección 18

Pretérito imperfecto of irregular and reflexive verbs

Una reunión de esperantistas

En Londres vivía un relojero inglés. El relojero era alto y delgado, usaba una barbita que comenzaba a ser gris, y llevaba gafas.Hint El relojero tenía un taller de óptica y relojería en un barrio obrero de Londres; y en su casa se reunía todos los lunes un grupo de esperantistas. Detrás del taller, el relojero esperantista tenía una salita con una gran mesa, diez o más sillas diferentes, un sofá cojo y una hija insignificante. Cuando alguien venía a su casa, el relojero esperantista le presentaba a su señora y su hija y después le presentaba una de las sillas que merecía confianza. A las siete comenzaban a llegar los esperantistas: un doctor polaco, un periodista español, un fotógrafo francés, un esperantista alemán, uno ruso, uno chino y unos esperantistas ingleses.
Comenzaba la reunión. El relojero recitaba un cuento escrito por él. Cuando terminaba, todos aplaudían y comenzaba la discusión. Más tarde el doctor polaco nos llevaba a su casa, donde una señorita danesa tocaba el piano y él cantaba. Un inglés me decía que el doctor era un loco muy divertido.
La reunión se prolongaba hasta medianoche... text translation
Julio CambaUna escuela de esperanto” (abridgement)

Vocablos

la reunión meeting
el esperantista Esperantist
el relojero watchmaker
  inglés, -a English; Englishman, Englishwoman
  alto, -a tall, high
  delgado, -a thin, slim
  usar to use; to wear
la barbita goatee, little beard
  llevar to wear; to take; to carry; to bring
las gafas glasses
el taller workshop
la óptica optics
la relojería watchmaker’s, watch store
el barrio neighbo(u)rhood, district
  obrero, -a worker
  reunirse to meet, to gather, to reunite
  lunes Monday
el grupo group
  detrás behind
la salita sitting room, small living room
  gran big, large
  más more
  diferente different, various
el sofá sofa
  cojo, -a lame; wobbly
  insignificante insignificant
  alguien someone, anyone
  presentar to introduce; to present
  merecer to deserve
la confianza trust, confidence
  polaco, -a Polish; Pole
el periodista journalist
  español, -a Spanish; Spaniard
el fotógrafo photographer
  francés, -a French; Frenchman; Frenchwoman
  alemán, -a German
  ruso, -a Russian
  chino, -a Chinese; Chinese person
  recitar to recite
el cuento story, tale
  escrito, -a written
  aplaudir to applaud
la discusión discussion
el doctor doctor
la señorita young lady, miss
  danés, -a Danish; Dane
  tocar to play (the piano)
  cantar to sing
  divertido, -a fun, funny, amusing
  prolongarse to go on, to continue
la medianoche midnight

Notes

The meaning of words and expressions

el ruso
la rusa

the Russian (m.)
the Russian (f.)

ruso, -а

Russian

el polaco
la polaca

the Pole (m.)
the Pole (f.)

polaco, -а

Polish

el español
la española

the Spaniard (m.)
the Spaniard (f.)

español, -а

Spanish

In Spanish, the noun that expresses nationality is formed from the adjective that comes after the definite article, for example:

español

Spanish

el español

the Spaniard

inglés

English (adjective)

el inglés
la inglesa

the Englishman (noun)
the Englishwoman

It should also be remembered that uno before a noun usually drops its final , whereas uno is used without changes before an adjective, for example:

un esperantista alemán, uno ruso...

one German Esperantist, one Russian...

Memorize:

le (him, her) presentaba a su señora
le (him, her) presentaba una silla

élhe
lehim, her

Learn the expressions:

 

usar una barbita

to wear a goatee

 

llevar gafas

to wear glasses

 

comenzar a ser gris

to start to turn grey (about hair)

 

en su casa

at his home

 

todos los lunes

every Monday

 

detrás de

behind, after

 

más

more

 

a su casa

to his home

 

más tarde

later

 

tocar el piano

to play the piano

 

hasta medianoche

until midnight

Grammar points

1. Pretérito imperfecto of irregular verbs of individual conjugation: tener, venir, ver, ser

All the verbs of individual conjugation, except for the verb ser, conjugate in pretérito imperfecto the same way as normal verbs.

Pretérito imperfecto
tenerto have
singular plural
1. tenía I was having teníamos we were having
2. tenías you were having teníais you were having
3. tenía he was having tenían they were having
venirto come
singular plural
1. venía I was coming veníamos we were coming
2. venías you were coming veníais you were coming
3. venía he was coming venían they were coming
Pretérito imperfecto
verto see
singular plural
1. veía I was seeing veíamos we were seeing
2. veías you were seeing veíais you were seeing
3. veía he was seeing veían they were seeing
serto be
singular plural
1. era I was éramos we were
2. eras you were erais you were
3. era he was eran they were
irto go
singular plural
1. iba I was going íbamos we were going
2. ibas you were going ibais you were going
3. iba he was going iban they were going

2. Pretérito imperfecto of reflexive verbs

The reflexive verbs in pretérito imperfecto conjugate the same way as other reflexive verbs with the unstressed personal pronouns me, te, se, nos, os, se (see lesson 11).

Pretérito imperfecto of the reflexive verb
lavarseto wash (oneself)
singular plural
1. (yo) me lavaba I was washing (nosotros) nos lavábamos we were washing
2. (tú) te lavabas you were washing (vosotros) os lavabais you were washing
3. (él) se lavaba he was washing (ellos) se lavaban they were washing

3. Conjugations I, II, III of verbs in the tenses you know

Presente de indicativo
Conjugation I
tomarto take
singular plural
1. tomo I take tomamos we take
2. tomas you take tomáis you take
3. toma he takes toman they take
Conjugation II
comerto eat
singular plural
1. como I eat comemos we eat
2. comes you eat coméis you eat
3. come he eats comen they eat
Conjugation III
partirto divide
singular plural
1. parto I divide partimos we divide
2. partes you divide partís you divide
3. parte he divides parten they divide
Pretérito imperfecto de indicativo
Conjugation I
tomarto take
singular plural
1. tomaba I was taking tomábamos we were taking
2. tomabas you were taking tomabais you were taking
3. tomaba he was taking tomaban they were taking
Conjugation II
comerto eat
singular plural
1. comía I was eating comíamos we were eating
2. comías you were eating comíais you were eating
3. comía he was eating comían they were eating
Conjugation III
partirto divide
singular plural
1. partía I was dividing partíamos we were dividing
2. partías you were dividing partíais you were dividing
3. partía he was dividing partían they were dividing
Modo imperativo
¡toma! take! ¡come! eat! ¡parte! divide!
¡tomad! take! ¡comed! eat! ¡partid! divide!

Exercises

I. Conjugate the following verbs in Pretérito imperfecto:

 

usar

llevar

reunirse

yo

él

Vd.

nosotros

vosotros

ellos

Vds.

Clave

 

venir

decir

aplaudir

yo

él

Vd.

nosotros

vosotros

ellos

Vds.

Clave

II. Conjugate the following verbs in the present tense and in Pretérito imperfecto:

 

tocar

 

Tense

 

present

past

 

yo

 

 

él

 

Vd.

 

nosotros

 

vosotros

 

Vds. (ellos)

Clave

 

cantar

 

Tense

 

present

past

 

yo

 

 

él

 

Vd.

 

nosotros

 

vosotros

 

Vds. (ellos)

Clave

 

reunirse

 

Tense

 

present

past

 

yo

 

 

él

 

Vd.

 

nosotros

 

vosotros

 

Vds. (ellos)

Clave

 

tener

 

Tense

 

present

past

 

yo

 

 

él

 

Vd.

 

nosotros

 

vosotros

 

Vds. (ellos)

Clave

III. Translate into English:

Tengo muchos amigos. Siempre tenía muchos amigos y muy diferentes. En la universidad estudiaba con un español y un polaco. Ellos trabajaban mucho, eran buenos estudiantes. Ahora escriben cartas largas y llenas de encanto, el encanto de las cosas desconocidas. Ahora no estudian, trabajan. El español es ingeniero y trabaja en una fábrica. El polaco es periodista y trabaja en un periódico polaco. Ellos escriben que estaban muy contentos cuando estudiaban en Londres, que ahora están muy ocupados, pero contentos también. Todos los sábados tienen reuniones, pero el domingo duermen hasta las diez.

Clave

IV. Translate into Spanish:

When I was in New York, I always went to my friend’s uncle’s house. At his home we were drinking coffee, talking and smoking a lot. My friend’s uncle used to play the piano, and we would listen and applaud when he would finish playing. The aunt used to come at eight o’clock. We used to go for a walk and would walk until ten o’clock, and then would return home. My friend, the Spanish journalist, wouldn’t come back home. He would go to the restaurant where he would drink wine, read a newspaper and write for his newspaper.

Clave