contemplabais

Contemplabais is the second-person plural imperfect form of the Spanish verb contemplar. It is used with the vosotros pronoun and conveys a past action that was ongoing or habitual, translating roughly as “you were contemplating” or “you used to contemplate” in English. This form appears in contexts where the narrative or description involves a past moment when a group addressed as vosotros was engaged in the act of looking at or considering something.

Etymology and form: Contemplar comes from Latin contemplari, meaning to behold, observe, or consider. In Spanish, contemplabais follows the regular imperfect conjugation pattern for -ar verbs in the vosotros form. The imperfect tense signals that the action was not completed at a specific moment but extended over time or recurred in the past.

Usage notes: Contemplabais is standard in regions that use the vosotros plural (primarily Spain). In many Latin American varieties, donde appropriate, the equivalent form is ustedes contemplaban in the imperfect. The verb can be used in descriptive prose, dialogue, or historical narration to emphasize ongoing perception or reflection in the past.

Examples:

- Contemplabais el paisaje desde la terraza, sin decir una palabra. (You were contemplating the landscape from the terrace, without saying a word.)

- Cuando llegasteis, contemplabais las obras y discutíais su significado. (When you all arrived, you were contemplating the works and discussing their meaning.)

Related terms include contemplación (the act of contemplating) and contemplativo, which describe related concepts or qualities.