caíais

Caíais is the second-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb caer, which means to fall or to drop. It is used to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past involving the subject vosotros or vosotras, primarily in Spain where the vosotros form is standard.

Conjugation and forms: The imperfect of caer is caía, caías, caía, caíamos, caíais, caían. The form caíais carries an acute accent on the í to mark the stressed syllable and distinguish it from other tenses. The present tense forms include caigo, caes, cae, caemos, caéis, caen.

Usage and regional variation: Caíais is typical in Spain due to the use of the vosotros form in informal plural address. In most Spanish-speaking countries outside Spain, where vos or ustedes is used instead of vosotros, the corresponding imperfect form for the second-person plural is caían (you all/you guys were falling) with ustedes or ellos as the subject. In literary or historical writing, caíais may appear to reflect regional speech or character voice.

Etymology and related forms: Caer derives from Latin cadere. Caíais shares its root with related forms such as caía, caías, and caían, all part of the same imperfect paradigm. The verb can be used transitively or intransitively (for example, “caer al suelo” or “caer en la trampa”) depending on context.

Examples: Antes, caíais frecuentemente al subir las escaleras. Si no mirabais por dónde poníais los pies, caíais. These sentences illustrate habitual past action in the vosotros form.

See also: Caer, Spanish verb conjugation, Imperfect indicative.