arruinaba

Arruinaba is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb arruinar. In the third person singular, arruinaba means "he/she/usted was ruining" or "used to ruin." The form is used to describe ongoing or repeated past actions that caused ruin, spoilage, or damage, ranging from material destruction to harm to plans or reputations. It is commonly found in narrative descriptions of events in the past.

Examples illustrate its range: "La mala gestión arruinaba las expectativas de los inversores." "La sequía arruinaba la cosecha cada verano." "La tormenta arruinaba los planes del viaje." In these contexts, arruinaba conveys a process of deterioration or persistent impact rather than a single sudden act. The nuance can express gradual damage, inevitability, or repetitive disruption depending on the surrounding text.

Conjugation and related forms: arruinaba is the imperfect indicative form used with él/ella/usted. The full imperfect conjugation is: yo arruinaba; tú arruinabas; él/ella/usted arruinaba; nosotros arruinábamos; vosotros arruinabais; ellos/ellas/ustedes arruinaban. Related forms include arruinar (to ruin) and its other tenses, as well as derivations such as arruinante (ruinous) in some dialects. The term derives from arruinar, which in turn traces back to ruina, reflecting the sense of causing ruin or destruction.