intentaba

Intentaba is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb intentar. It expresses an ongoing or repeated past attempt and can be translated as “I was trying,” “you were trying,” or “he/she was trying,” depending on the subject.

The imperfect forms are: yo intentaba, tú intentabas, él/ella/usted intentaba, nosotros intentábamos, vosotros intentabais, ellos/ellas/ustedes intentaban. The verb is used mainly to describe actions in progress in the past, or habitual attempts, as opposed to the preterite form intentó, which denotes a single, completed attempt.

Intentaba is often used to set a past scene or to convey that an effort was being made without asserting success. It can express duration, repetition, or a background motive in a narrative. It is commonly followed by an infinitive, as in intentaba entender el problema or intentaba terminar el informe cada tarde, to describe what someone was trying to do at that time.

Examples illustrate its meaning and nuance: “Intentaba entender el problema, pero no lograba encontrar la solución” (I was trying to understand the problem, but I couldn’t find the solution). “Ayer intentaba llamar, pero la línea estaba caída” (Yesterday I was trying to call, but the line was down). “Ella intentaba convencerlo, aunque parecía poco probable” (She was trying to convince him, although it seemed unlikely).

See also: intentar, which is the base verb; becomes a key tool in narrating past attempts and unfolding actions in Spanish.