aplaudaba

Aplaudaba is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb aplaudar, meaning to applaud or clap one’s hands. As an inflected form, aplaudaba can refer to the first-person singular (yo aplaudaba) or the third-person singular (él/ella/usted aplaudaba) depending on the subject of the sentence.

In Spanish grammar, the imperfect tense expresses past actions that were ongoing, habitual, or background events. Therefore, aplaudaba describes someone was applauding over a period of time, or used to applaud regularly in the past. It is commonly used to set the scene in narrative or to describe recurring past behavior, often with conjunctions like cuando or mientras.

Conjugation for other persons in the imperfect tense is: tú aplaudabas; nosotros aplaudábamos; vosotros aplaudabais; ellos/ellas/ustedes aplaudaban. The form adheres to standard Spanish stress rules for -aba endings, with the accent pattern determined by the word’s syllable structure.

Etymology: Aplaudar comes from the verb Latin applaudere, with its path into Spanish likely via Old French or medieval Spanish. The word itself, and its imperfect form aplaudaba, reflect the same root meaning of clapping in approval or celebration.

Examples:

- Durante la ovación, el público aplaudaba sin parar.

- Cuando era niño, aplaudaba cada vez que terminaba una canción.

See also: aplaudir, imperfect tense, Spanish verb conjugation.