Determinábamos

Determinábamos is the first-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb determinar. It describes a past, ongoing, or habitual action of determining something, and can translate as “we were determining” or “we used to determine.” The sense of the verb varies with context, ranging from deciding a result to establishing criteria or boundaries.

Grammar and conjugation: Determinar is a regular -ar verb. In the imperfect, the nosotros form is determinábamos, with the accent on the syllable preceding the ending to indicate the imperfect mood. Other imperfect forms include determinábamos, determinábais, and determinaban. The form is commonly used in narrative and descriptive past contexts to set background or describe processes without signaling a completed action.

Usage and nuance: The imperfect implies that the act of determining was ongoing, repetitive, or not completed at a past reference time. It is often used to describe routines, initial steps in a decision process, or situational details that preceded a final outcome. In contrast, determinamos (preterite) would suggest a completed decision or determination, while determinábamos emphasizes the process or period of determining.

Etymology and related terms: Determinar comes from Latin determinare, formed by de- (bound, set) and terminare (to end, bound, limit). Related terms include la determinación, determinante, and determinant, which extend the sense to establish limits, decide consequences, or identify decisive factors in various fields such as law, mathematics, and science.

In summary, determinábamos conveys past, ongoing action of deciding or establishing something, commonly used in narrative, academic, and formal prose to portray processes rather than finished decisions.