Rendíamos

Rendíamos is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb rendir for the first-person plural (nosotros/nosotras). It translates to “we were yielding,” “we used to yield,” or “we produced” depending on the context and the meaning of rendir in the sentence. The sense can range from producing results to surrendering or rendering something, usually with a direct object or a complement that clarifies the kind of yield.

Etymology and grammar: Rendimos comes from rendir, a verb of Latin origin, commonly traced to the idea of giving back or yielding something. The imperfect form rendíamos follows the standard conjugation pattern for -ir verbs in the imperfect tense, signaling actions that were ongoing or habitual in the past. The verb can take various complements, including objects that specify what is yielded or produced (for example, rendíamos cuentas, meaning we rendered accounts).

Usage notes: In everyday Spanish, rendir can describe performance, productivity, or the act of delivering an outcome. It appears in phrases such as rendir cuentas (to render/inventorize accounts, i.e., to report), rendir frutos (to bear fruit, be productive), or rendir mejor (to perform better). When used with a direct object, rendíamos often conveys habitual past actions or ongoing states rather than a single completed event.

Examples:

- Rendíamos cuentas al jefe cada semana para evaluar el progreso. (We reported to the boss each week to assess progress.)

- En aquel entonces rendíamos más cuando trabajábamos en equipo. (Back then we produced more when we worked as a team.)

- Rendíamos menos de lo previsto sin la cooperación adecuada. (We yielded less than expected without proper cooperation.)

Rendíamos thus serves as a versatile past-tense form enabling descriptions of past performance, production, or accountability, with meaning clarified by its objects and context.