pagábamos

Pagábamos is a Spanish verb form. It is the first-person plural imperfect indicative of the verb pagar, meaning "we were paying" or "we used to pay." This form expresses ongoing or habitual action in the past, with the subject nosotros often implied by the ending.

In usage, pagábamos describes past activities that continued over an interval or recurred in the past. It can appear in narratives to provide background or describe routine payments, debts, or obligations. Like other imperfect forms, it does not specify when the action ended and often contrasts with aoristic or completed past actions expressed by the preterite (pagamos).

Orthography and pronunciation: pagábamos is spelled with an acute accent on the á to indicate the stress on the syllable ba, following Spanish accentuation rules for verbs ending in -ábamos. The accent helps distinguish this form from other tenses and from similar-looking words.

Etymology: pagar comes from Latin pacāre “to appease, pacify,” a development that influenced the semantic shift toward paying or providing compensation. The modern Spanish verb thus carries a historical connection to balancing debts or obligations through payment.

Related forms include pagar (infinitive), pagó (third-person singular preterite), pagamos (first-person plural present or preterite, depending on context), and pagarás (you will pay). Pagábamos specifically denotes past imperfect action.