observaban

Observaban is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb observar. It translates roughly as “they were observing” or “they used to observe” and is used to describe ongoing or habitual past actions, states, or backgrounds in narratives.

Observación about its conjugation: Observar is a regular -ar verb, and the imperfect endings are -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban. Therefore observaban corresponds to ellos/ellas/ustedes. Other imperfect forms include observaba, observabas, observábamos, etc.

Usage and nuance: The imperfect tense expresses actions that were in progress in the past or that occurred repeatedly over a period of time. It often provides background or context for a later action described in the preterite, and it can convey simultaneity with another past action.

Etymology: Observador comes from observar, which in turn derives from Latin observare, meaning to watch, regard, or notice.

Examples:

- Los astrónomos observaban las estrellas cuando apareció un cometa.

- En la infancia, observaban los animales del parque con gran curiosidad.