cantábamos

Cantábamos is the first-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb cantar, meaning "we sang" or "we used to sing." It is used to describe ongoing actions, habits, or background situations in the past.

Formation and grammar: In the imperfect tense for regular -ar verbs, the endings are -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban. Cantábamos is formed from the stem cant- plus the ending -ábamos, with an accent on the á to mark the stress. This form is regular; other persons are cantaba, cantabas, cantábamos, cantabais, cantaban. The imperfect is distinct from the present tense cantamos (we sing) and from the imperfect subjunctive cantásemos or cantáramos.

Usage: Cantábamos often implies habitual or concurrent past action rather than a completed moment. It frequently appears in narratives to set context or describe repeated activities. Example: "Cuando éramos niños, cantábamos en el coro de la iglesia." Another example: "En las fiestas de verano, cantábamos hasta tarde." The form helps convey a sense of continuity or routine in the past.

See also: Conjugation of cantar, other imperfect forms such as cantaba, cantabas, cantábamos, as well as related tenses and moods in Spanish grammar.