mezclaban

Mezclaban is a conjugated form of the Spanish verb mezclar in the imperfect indicative tense. It describes past actions of mixing that were ongoing, habitual, or simultaneous with another past action. The form corresponds to the third-person plural or the formal you plural in many varieties (they mixed, you all mixed).

Morphology and usage: mezclar is a regular -ar verb. The imperfect endings are -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban. Therefore, in the imperfect: mezclaba, mezclabas, mezclaba, mezclábamos, mezclabais, mezclaban. Mezclaban is specifically the form for ellos/ellas/ustedes (or ustedes) mixing in the past.

Examples of use: In cooking, "Mezclaban la salsa con cuidado para evitar grumos." In a classroom context, "Los investigadores mezclaban varias hipótesis para diseñar un experimento." In descriptive narration, "La pintura estaba incompleta y mezclaban colores para obtener un tono adecuado." These sentences illustrate the sense of simultaneity or habit, rather than a completed past action.

Etymology and related forms: Mezclar comes from the Latin miscere, meaning to mix or stir. Related forms include mezclo (I mix), mezclas (you mix), mezcló (he/she/you formal mixed). The imperfect form contrasts with the preterite mezclaron, which denotes a completed past action.

See also: Spanish verb conjugation, imperfect tense, related verbs such as unir, combinar.