masticaba

Masticaba is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb masticar, meaning to chew. It can function in past narration to describe an action that was ongoing or habitual.

In Spanish, the imperfect tense (masticaba) is used to describe actions in the past without specifying a defined endpoint. It conveys ongoing actions, repeated or habitual activities, background descriptions, or setting the scene, in contrast to the preterite, which marks completed actions.

Conjugation (imperfect indicative, active voice):

- yo masticaba

- tú masticabas

- él/ella/usted masticaba

- nosotros/nosotras masticábamos

- vosotros/vosotras masticabais

- ellos/ellas/ustedes masticaban

Examples:

- Cuando era niño, yo masticaba chicle todo el día.

- Él masticaba el chicle mientras caminaba por la calle.

Etymology:

The verb masticar likely derives from Latin masticare, via Old Spanish, and is related to the concept of chewing or grinding with the teeth.

Notes:

Because the form masticaba can correspond to yo masticaba or él/ella/usted masticaba, context usually clarifies the subject. The imperfect tense is a standard feature of Spanish verb conjugation and is common across dialects.