permitíais

Permitíais is the second-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb permitir. It corresponds to the vosotros subject and translates roughly as “you all were permitting” or “you all used to permit.” This form is characteristic of Spain and regions that use the vosotr@s form; in most of Latin America, the equivalent would be periphrasis with ustedes (permitían) or the third-person plural imperfect.

Grammatically, permitíais is formed from the verb permitir (to permit) with the regular imperfect endings for -ir verbs: yo permitía, tú permitías, él permitía, nosotros permitíamos, vosotros permitíais, ellos permitían. The accent on í in permitíais marks the stressed syllable and distinguishes it from other tenses.

Usage notes: permitíais expresses habitual or ongoing past permission rather than a completed action. It is often used in subordinate clauses after verbs of wanting, allowing, or requiring, or in narrative pasts describing what was allowed previously. In regions without the vosotr@s form, the same idea is conveyed with ustedes permitían or with contexts that imply formal or regional alternatives.

Examples:

- Vosotros permitíais que los niños entraran sin guía. (You all used to permit the children to enter without a guide.)

- En aquella época permitíais fumar en la terraza. (At that time you all were allowed to smoke on the terrace.)

See also: imperfect indicative, vosotros forms, Spanish verb conjugation patterns.