cumplía

Cumplía is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb cumplir. It can correspond to the first-person singular (yo cumplía) or the third-person singular (él, ella, usted cumplía), depending on the subject. The basic meaning of cumplir is to fulfill, to complete, to accomplish, or to comply with a requirement, a promise, or a law. In the imperfect tense, cumplía expresses past actions without focusing on their completion, often indicating habitual or ongoing activity.

Etymology and sense: cumplir derives from Latin complere, from com- (with) + plere (to fill), with the sense shift from “to fill up” to “to fulfill or comply with.” The modern meaning encompasses duties, promises, deadlines, and other obligations.

Usage: cumplía is used to describe past routines or states. Examples include: “Cuando era joven, cumplía con mis deberes todos los días” (I used to fulfill my duties every day) or “En ese periodo, la empresa cumplía con los estándares vigentes” (the company was meeting the standards). In formal address, “usted cumplía” functions identically to third-person singular. The phrase “cumplía con” means “to comply with” or “to meet” a requirement or expectation.

Forms: as with the imperfect of -ir verbs, the forms are yo cumplía, tú cumplías, él/ella/usted cumplía, nosotros cumplíamos, vosotros cumplíais, ellos/ellas/ustedes cumplían. The form cumplo, cumples, cumple, etc., belong to the present tense.

Notes: cumplimiento and cumplimiento de plazos are common collocations; the term is widely used in education, law, business, and everyday speech.