continuábamos

Continuábamos is the first-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb continuar. It translates to “we continued” or “we were continuing.” This form is used to describe actions or states in the past that were ongoing, habitual, or interrupted by another event.

Grammatical notes: The form is built from the root continuar plus the imperfect endings for -ar verbs, here -ábamos, yielding continuábamos. The written accent on the -á in -ábamos marks the stressed syllable, a pattern common to many Spanish imperfect forms such as hablábamos, comíamos, and trabajábamos. The subject is nosotros/nosotras, though the sentence may omit the pronoun if the subject is clear from context.

Usage considerations: Continuábamos is typically employed to set a scene in storytelling or to describe a past activity that persisted for a period. It can appear with time-frame modifiers or in clauses introduced by mientras or cuando to indicate simultaneity or interruption. While synonyms like seguíamos or seguía to continue exist, continuábamos emphasizes the sense of ongoing action over a duration.

Etymology: The verb continuar derives from Latin continuare, from continuus meaning “continuous,” and entered Spanish via Old Spanish. Continuar has other tenses and moods formed in the same paradigm, with continuábamos serving as one of the key imperfect forms.