entraba

Entraba is a form of the Spanish verb entrar, specifically the imperfect tense in the singular. As a result, it can be read as either yo entraba or él/ella/usted entraba, depending on context. The imperfect indicates an action that was ongoing, habitual, or not viewed as completed in the past. The corresponding plural forms are entrábamos, entrabais, and entraban.

Entrar itself means “to enter” and comes from Latin intrare, passing through Old Spanish into modern Spanish. Entraba follows the regular -ar verb pattern in the imperfect: -aba endings in the first and third person singular, and appropriate endings in the plural. This regularity makes entraba a common example of imperfect usage.

In discourse, entraba is often used to set background in narratives, describe repeated past actions, or indicate a past state. It contrasts with the preterite form entró, which signals a completed, single act of entering. For example: “Cada día entraba por la puerta trasera” describes a habitual action, while “Entró por la puerta y preguntó por mí” conveys a completed event.

Because entraba is ambiguous in isolation, its person (yo o él/ella/usted) is usually clarified by surrounding words or punctuation. Users should rely on subject cues or prior context to determine the intended subject.

See also: entrar, entrada, imperfecto (grammatical mood).