administraban

Administraban is a Spanish verb conjugation. It is the imperfect indicative form of the verb "administrar" for the third-person plural (ellos/ellas/ustedes). This tense describes actions that were ongoing or habitual in the past. Therefore, "administraban" translates to "they administered" or "they used to administer."

The verb "administrar" itself has a broad range of meanings, encompassing management, governance, direction, and even the dispensing of medication. In its imperfect form, "administraban" would be used to describe a past situation where a group of people or entities were actively engaged in one of these activities over a period of time. For example, one might say "Los reyes administraban el reino con justicia" (The kings administered the kingdom with justice), indicating a habitual or ongoing practice of just rule in the past. Similarly, "Los médicos administraban el tratamiento a los pacientes" (The doctors administered the treatment to the patients) implies that the doctors were regularly giving the treatment.

The imperfect tense is crucial for conveying context in Spanish, distinguishing between completed actions and those that were in progress or repeated. "Administraban" specifically places this ongoing or habitual administrative action in the past, allowing for narration of historical events or descriptions of past routines.