conseguíamos

Conseguíamos is the first-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb conseguir (to obtain, to achieve). The infinitive is conseguir. The imperfect tense expresses past actions that were habitual, ongoing, or background in description, and can be translated as “we used to obtain” or “we were obtaining,” depending on context.

Conseguir is a stem-changing -ir verb with irregular present forms, but in the imperfect its stem remains conseguid- with the standard imperfect endings: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían. Therefore, the form conseguid- + íamos yields conseguidíamos, written consecutively as conseguidí... actually correctly as conseguíámos? The standard form is conseguíamos, with the accent on the í to indicate the proper stress: conseguíamos. This form is distinct from the present indicative and the preterite form consegimos (we obtained).

Beyond conseguidimos, related forms include: conseguir (infinitive), conseguido (past participle), consiguiendo (gerund), and the imperfect subjunctive forms such as consiguiéramos/conseguíéramos. The verb's meaning and its various tenses allow nuanced expressions of past success, continuous effort, or habitual achievement.

Usage notes: conseguidíamos frequently appears in narrative descriptions or reminiscences about past efforts and results. It may appear in statements like “Cuando éramos jóvenes, conseguíamos lo que queríamos con paciencia” (“When we were young, we used to obtain what we wanted with patience”). In many sentences, choosing different past tenses (imperfect, preterite, or perfect) can alter aspect and emphasis.

Etymology: conseguir derives from the Latin consequī, from con- “together” + sequī “to follow,” historically meaning to follow up and thus to obtain or achieve.