Retardábamos

Retardábamos is the first-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb retardar, meaning to slow down or to delay. In English it can be translated as “we delayed” or “we were delaying.” It denotes a past action that was ongoing or habitual, rather than a single completed event.

Morphology and usage patterns: Retardar is a regular -ar verb, so its imperfect forms follow the standard endings. Retardábamos combines the stem retard- with the imperfect ending -ábamos and carries an accent on the syllable that receives the stress (retardábamos). The accent is written to indicate the correct pronunciation and rhythm in speech. This form is commonly used to set background, describe repeated delays, or express that delaying actions were part of a habitual past.

Nuance and synonymy: Retardar and retrasar are close in meaning, with slight nuance. Retardar often emphasizes slowing progress or hindering, while retrasar is frequently used for delaying an event or deadline. Other near-synonyms include demorar and dilatar, which may carry different formal or regional connotations. Retardábamos can thus appear in narratives to depict routines or recurrent problems that caused delays.

Examples: La niebla retardaba la llegada de los suministros. Durante la reunión, retardábamos la decisión para revisar cada detalle. These sentences illustrate how the imperfect form conveys ongoing delay in the past.

See also: retardo, demora, retraso, demorar, dilatar.