cuidaban

Cuidaban is a Spanish verb form that corresponds to the imperfect tense of cuidar in the third person plural. It translates roughly as "they were taking care of" or "they used to take care of." The imperfect tense describes past actions that were ongoing, habitual, or serves as background in a narrative, rather than completed events.

Usage notes:

- Cuidaban is used when the subject is ellos, ellas, or ustedes. It can refer to taking care of people, animals, places, or things, and often appears with time cues or context indicating a repeated or prolonged activity (for example, "Los abuelos cuidaban de los nietos mientras trabajaban sus padres").

- It contrasts with the preterite, which would indicate a completed past action (e.g., "cuidaron" if the care was finished at a definite moment).

Examples:

- Los vecinos cuidaban de la casa cuando viajábamos. (The neighbors took care of the house when we were traveling.)

- Durante el verano, cuidaban de las plantas del jardín. (During summer, they cared for the garden plants.)

Conjugation note:

- For -ar verbs in the imperfect, the forms are: yo cuidaba, tú cuidabas, él/ella/usted cuidaba, nosotros cuidábamos, vosotros cuidabais, ellos/ellas/ustedes cuidaban. Thus, cuidaban specifically marks the third-person plural.

Etymology:

- Cuidar derives from the Spanish verb cuídar, itself rooted in the broader Latin idea of tending or taking care, with modern usage primarily meaning to look after or attend to someone or something.