Dependía

Dependía is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb depender, meaning to depend. It is used to describe past dependence or a situation that was contingent on something in the past, as well as habitual past patterns. In narratives, dependeía often sets the context for actions determined by external factors.

Grammatically, depender is a transitive verb followed by de to introduce the dependency source, as in depender de alguien o de algo. The imperfect tense, dependía, conjures ongoing states in the past: la solución dependía de la financiación; siempre dependía de la cooperación de los demás. The form follows standard conjugation patterns for -er verbs in the imperfect: dependía, dependías, dependía, dependíamos, dependíais, dependían. The imperfect is distinct from the preterite, which would indicate a completed past action, and from the conditional dependería, which expresses a hypothetical or contingent situation.

Usage and nuance: dependía is commonly used to describe how outcomes were determined by external conditions, to indicate uncertainty in past events, or to convey habitual patterns. It can be contrasted with dependería in hypothetical contexts, or with depende de to specify the source of dependence.

Examples:

- La decisión dependía de la aprobación del comité.

- Todo dependía de si llovía ese día.

- En ese periodo, el equipo dependía de la ayuda externa.

Relacionados: depender (to depend), dependencia (dependence/dependency), dependiente (dependent). The term appears frequently in discussions sobre causalidad, contingency y planificación.