SoliciTaban

Solicitaban is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb solicitar, which means to request, apply for, or solicit. The form soliciTaban indicates actions or states in the past that were ongoing, habitual, or repeated, referring to ellos, ellas, or ustedes. The imperfect contrasts with the perfect form solicitaron, which would describe a completed past action.

Usage and meanings

Solicitar can be used in a variety of formal and semi-formal contexts. Common senses include requesting information, applying for a job or a permit, or filing a petition. In many Latin American and Iberian contexts, it is also used for applying for scholarships, visas, or loans. The construction with permitir, información, empleo, visa, certificado, or permiso is frequent: solicitar información, solicitar un permiso, solicitar empleo, solicitar una visa. The imperfect form solicitaban often conveys that many people or repeated requests occurred over a period of time.

Examples

- Durante aquel año, muchas personas solicitaban becas universitarias. (Many people were applying for university scholarships.)

- En esa época, los ciudadanos solicitaban permisos temporales para trabajar. (Citizens were requesting temporary work permits.)

- Los estudiantes solicitaban cita para la revisión de sus expedientes. (The students were requesting appointments to review their records.)

Etymology and usage notes

Solicitar proviene del latín solicitāre, relacionado con solicitus, y ha evolucionado para significar pedir formalmente o exigir algo. En español moderno, es común en documentos oficiales y en habla cotidiana cuando se habla de pedir o tramitar algo ante una autoridad o institución.

Translation considerations

SoliciTaban puede traducirse al inglés como “they were requesting,” “they used to request,” or “they were applying for,” depending on el contexto.

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