describíais

Describíais is the second-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb describir, used in the vosotros form. It means “you (plural informal) described” or “you used to describe.”

Origin and formation: Describir derives from Latin describere. The imperfect vosotros ending is -íais, added to the stem describ-, following the regular imperfect conjugation pattern for -ir verbs: describía, describías, describía, describíamos, describíais, describían. The accent on í marks the stress in this syllable.

Usage: The imperfect describes actions or states in the past that were ongoing, habitual, or not bound to a defined completion. It is used to set scenes, provide descriptions, or recount repeated past actions, often with time markers such as mientras, siempre, o cuando era niño. It contrasts with the aorist-like preterite forms, which denote completed past actions.

Regional usage: In Spain, the vosotros form is common in informal address, so describíais is frequently used. In many Latin American varieties, the vosotros form is not standard; the corresponding past description for ustedes is described with describían (and ustedes describían in regional speech), so describíais is much less common there.

Examples: Describíais la ciudad con detalle cuando la visitasteis, y la gente os escuchaba. ¿Cómo describíais el paisaje para el reportero antes de la llegada? These illustrate describing ongoing past actions or habitual descriptions in the vosotros form.

Notes: Describíais is a regular imperfect form; the accent helps indicate the stress pattern of the vosotros ending. It is distinct from describíais the preterite forms like describí (yo) or describiste (tú).