Exigíais

Exigíais is the second-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb exigir. It corresponds to the English “you all were demanding” or “you all used to demand,” used when addressing a group that uses the vosotros form, mainly in Spain.

Formation and meaning: exigir means “to demand” or “to require.” The imperfect tense for -er verbs (like exigir) uses the endings -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían. Therefore, the form for vosotros is exigíais, with the accent on the í to indicate the correct stress. This form expresses ongoing or habitual past action.

Regional use: Exigíais is standard in Spanish regions that employ the vosotros form (primarily Spain). In most Latin American varieties, where vos and ustedes are used instead of vosotros, the equivalent sense is conveyed with ustedes exigían in the imperfect.

Usage notes: Exigíais is not used in the present tense. It appears in narration or description of past events or repeated past actions. It can take direct objects, often referring to demands, rights, conditions, or explanations.

Examples:

- Durante la negociación, vosotros exigíais condiciones justas.

- En la era escolar, vosotros exigíais más transparencia por parte de la administración.

Etymology: exigir comes from Latin exigere, meaning to demand or require, with the imperfect ending -íais added to the stem exig-.