What is the imperfect form of hablar for ellos/ellas/ustedes?

What is the imperfect form of hablar for ellos/ellas/ustedes?

• A. hablaban
• B. hablaba
• C. hablábamos
• D. hablabais

Answer: (A)

In the imperfect, regular -ar verbs use the endings -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban. The stem of hablar is habl-, so for ellos/ellas/ustedes you add -aban, giving hablaban. This expresses that they/you all were speaking or spoke habitually in the past. The other forms map to different subjects: hablaba is he/she/you (formal) in the past, hablábamos is we, and hablabais is you all (plural, informal in Spain). So for ellos/ellas/ustedes, the form is hablaban.

In the imperfect, regular -ar verbs use the endings -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban. The stem of hablar is habl-, so for ellos/ellas/ustedes you add -aban, giving hablaban. This expresses that they/you all were speaking or spoke habitually in the past. The other forms map to different subjects: hablaba is he/she/you (formal) in the past, hablábamos is we, and hablabais is you all (plural, informal in Spain). So for ellos/ellas/ustedes, the form is hablaban.