Actuabas

Actuabas is the second-person singular imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb actuar, meaning you used to act or you were acting. It is formed from the stem actu- plus the imperfect ending -abas, following the regular -ar verb conjugation in the imperfect tense.

In practice, actuabas is used to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past, such as routines, repeated events, or background activities in a narrative. It contrasts with the preterite form actuaste, which would indicate a specific, completed act of acting. For example: “Cuando era joven, tú actuabas en obras de teatro cada verano.” This sentence conveys a past habit of performing on stage.

Conjugation context: actuabas corresponds to other imperfect forms of actuar, which are regular for -ar verbs. The full imperfect paradigm for actuar is: actuaba (yo), actuabas (tú), actuaba (él/ella/usted), actuábamos (nosotros), actuabais (vosotros), actuaban (ellos/ellas/ustedes). The imperfect is often accompanied by time expressions such as siempre, a menudo, mientras, o cuando era niño, to indicate ongoing or repeated past actions.

Related terms: actuar means to act or to perform, both in theatrical and figurative senses (to take action). Other Spanish tenses and moods offer different nuances for past actions, such as the preterite actuaste or the present actúas.

See also: actuar, Spanish verb conjugation, imperfect indicative.