Moría

Moría is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb morir, meaning "to die." It is used to describe ongoing or uncompleted actions or states in the past, as opposed to the aoristic, completed action conveyed by the preterite morir (murió). In addition to literal death, moría is frequently used figuratively, as in phrases like moría de hambre (was starving) or moría de risa (was dying of laughter).

Conjugation and usage. In the imperfect, moría corresponds to I/he/she/it/you-formations as follows: yo moría, tú morías, él/ella moría, nosotros moríamos, vosotros moríais, ellos morían. The imperfect aspect conveys background information, descriptions, habitual past actions, or states without signaling a definite endpoint. It contrasts with the preterite form murió, which marks a completed past event.

Etymology and related forms. Morir derives from Latin morī, meaning "to die." The reflexive form morirse is used to indicate dying in a more emotional or gradual sense, often with phrases like morirse de hambre or morirse de risa. Related derivatives include moría as part of broader past-tense narration and imperfect constructions in narrative prose.

Typical contexts. Moría appears in storytelling, descriptions of past circumstances, or expressions that emphasize the degree or duration of a past condition. It is commonly found in both literary and colloquial Spanish. In contrast, to signal a completed past event, speakers opt for murió or other preterite forms.

Note. Moría is a verb inflection rather than a standalone noun or place name in standard Spanish. When encountered in text, it should be interpreted as the past imperfect form of morir.