Contabas

Contabas is the second-person singular form of the Spanish verb contar in the imperfect indicative tense. It is used to describe past actions that were ongoing or habitual, and also to express the sense of telling or recounting events in the past.

Conjugation: The imperfect forms of contar are regular: yo contaba, tú contabas, él/ella/usted contaba, nosotros contábamos, vosotros contabais, ellos/ellas/ustedes contaban.

Usage: Contabas commonly appears when narrating background information or routines in the past. It can refer to counting numbers (you were counting) or to telling stories or relaying events (you used to tell). Examples: “Cuando éramos niños, tú contabas hasta diez cada vez que alguien entraba.” “Antes, tú contabas historias para dormir.”

Difference from other tenses: Contabas contrasts with “contaste” (the preterite, used for completed past actions) and with imperfect subjunctive forms such as “contaras” or “contases” in hypothetical or dependent clauses.

Etymology and notes: Contar comes from Latin roots related to counting and recounting events. In modern Spanish the imperfect form expresses habitual or continuous past actions, and is common in narrative writing and everyday speech.