masticábamos

Masticábamos is a verb form in Spanish that corresponds to the first-person plural imperfect indicative of the verb masticar, meaning to chew. It is used to describe an ongoing action in the past or a habitual past action, translating roughly as “we were chewing” or “we used to chew.”

Formation and grammar: For regular -ar verbs, the imperfect nosotros form ends in -ábamos, so masticar becomes masticábamos. The accent on the a in -ábamos marks the correct pronunciation. The imperfect tense is used for descriptions, background actions, or repeated past activities, without indicating a precise beginning or end.

Usage: Masticábamos appears in narratives or descriptions where the act of chewing is ongoing or habitual. Examples include: “Cuando volvimos a casa, masticábamos chicle mientras preparábamos la cena” and “De niños, masticábamos pan duro para hacer cuentas imaginarias.” It contrasts with the preterite form masticamos, which would indicate a completed action: “Masticamos durante la reunión” (we chewed during the meeting) versus “Masticábamos durante la reunión” (we were chewing during the meeting).

Relation to related forms: The infinitive is masticar; related imperfect forms include masticabas, masticaba, masticábamos, masticaban. The imperfect subjunctive forms include masticáramos (or masticásemos). The root mastic- comes from the Latin masticāre, meaning to chew.

Notes: As with other imperfect forms, masticábamos does not specify when the action started or ended; it provides context for past events and can convey description, habit, or background in storytelling.