Seleccionabas

Seleccionabas is the second person singular imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb seleccionar. It denotes a past action that was ongoing, habitual, or repeated when addressed to “tú” (informal you). In narrative, it can describe what someone used to do in those circumstances or what was happening at a certain time in the past.

Etymology and family: The verb seleccionar comes from the noun selección, itself from Latin selectio, and from the verb form -ar for infinitives. The imperfect form seleccionabas follows the regular -ar verb conjugation pattern in the imperfect tense: -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban, with the second-person singular ending being -abas.

Usage and nuance: Seleccionabas is used to convey gradual, repeated, or background actions in the past. It often appears in descriptions of routines, processes, or decisions made over a period. It can be translated as “you were selecting” or “you used to select.” Contrast with the preterite “seleccionaste,” which denotes a completed action: you chose at a specific moment.

Morphology and related forms: Other forms of the same verb include selecciono (I select), seleccionas (you select), selecciona (he/she/it/you formal selects), seleccionábamos, seleccionabais, seleccionaban. The imperfect male or female subject is indicated by the suffixes, not by the verb stem. Related words include selección (selection), seleccionado (selected), and seleccionando (selecting). The verb also forms subjunctive: que tú selecciones, que él seleccione, etc.

Overview: As a common Spanish verb form, seleccionabas exemplifies how the imperfect tense conveys past, ongoing actions in the second-person singular within a wide range of contexts, from work processes to everyday tasks.