Consideraban

Consideraban is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb considerar, used with the subject ellos, ellas, o ustedes (they, you all). It expresses past actions or states that were ongoing, habitual, or not viewed as completed at a definite point in the past.

Usage and meaning: In narrative or descriptive past contexts, consideraban indicates that the act of considering was in progress or repeatedly occurred over time. It can convey deliberation without signaling a concluded decision. For example: “En esa época, consideraban cambiar de estrategia” or “Ellos consideraban mudarse a otra ciudad.” The imperfect contrasts with the preterite form consideraron, which would imply a completed decision or a single, distinct evaluation event: “Después de evaluar, consideraron mudarse” (they considered moving after evaluating).

Grammatical notes: The form is derived from the infinitive considerar by removing -ar and adding the imperfect endings -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban; for the third-person plural it's -aban. The subject is often explicit (ellos/ellas/ustedes) but can be inferred from context.

Related forms and variants: Other imperfect forms of este verbo include considerábamos (we were considering) or considerábamos, depending on the subject. The related noun or adjective forms are not typically used in the same sense.

Etymology: Considerar comes from the Spanish verb considerar, which traces back to Latin considerare, meaning to observe or examine. The sense in modern Spanish centers on examination, reflection, or weighing options.