funcionabais

Funcionabais is the second-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb funcionar, meaning to operate or to work. It expresses an ongoing or habitual action in the past and is used when the subject is vosotros (you all) in Spain and parts of the Spanish-speaking world. In many Latin American varieties, where the vosotros form is not used, the corresponding imperfect for ustedes is funcionaban.

Usage and nuance: The imperfect tense, including funcionabais, describes background situations, habits, or repeated actions in the past rather than a single completed event. It can set scene, describe how systems performed over time, or indicate that a device or organization tended to function in a certain way during a period.

Regional variation: In dialects that do not use vosotros, speakers typically use ustedes with the third-person plural imperfect, as in funcionaban. The verb’s meaning remains the same, but the grammatical subject shifts from vosotros to ustedes or ellos.

Related forms: The root verb is funcionar, which is derived from the noun función and the Latin origin related to performing a task or function. Related nouns include función (function, role) and funcionamiento (operation, functioning). The imperfect forms for other subjects follow standard -ar conjugation patterns (yo funcionaba, tú funcionabas, él funcionaba, etc.).

Examples:

- En aquella fábrica, vosotros funcionabais sin problemas la mayor parte del tiempo.

- ¿Cómo funcionabais cuando fallaba la red eléctrica?

See also: Conjugation of funcionar; imperfect tense in Spanish; vosotros vs. ustedes usage.