aplaudaban

Aplaudaban is the imperfect tense form of the Spanish verb aplaudar, used with third-person plural subjects (ellos, ellas). It expresses an action of clapping that was ongoing in the past or was habitual. In narrative, it may convey background activity or repeated past conduct, similar to “they were applauding” or “they used to applaud.”

The imperfect forms of aplaudar follow the standard -ar pattern: yo aplaudaba, tú aplaudabas, él/ella/usted aplaudaba, nosotros aplaudábamos, vosotros aplaudabais, ellos/ellas/ustedes aplaudaban. Therefore, aplaudaban specifically corresponds to “they were applauding” or “they used to applaud.” This form is distinct from the imperfect of the related verb aplaudir, whose third-person plural form is aplaudían.

Usage notes: aplaudaban commonly appears in literary or formal narration, in descriptions of audiences, performances, or events where the act of clapping is described over a span of time. It can be accompanied by temporal phrases such as mientras, cuando, or antes, to situate the action in the past. The choice between imperfect and other past tenses (such as preterite aplaudaron) depends on whether the emphasis is on the ongoing nature of the action or on a completed instance of clapping.

Etymology: aplaudar derives from the Latin applaudere, through Spanish, with the root aplaud- referring to the action of clapping or applauding.