recurría

Recurría is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb recurrir. The verb means to resort to or to appeal to something or someone, and its imperfect form is used to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past. The form recurría can correspond to yo recurría, él recurría, ella recurría, or usted recurría, depending on the subject of the sentence (the nosotros and vosotros forms would be recurríamos and recurríais, respectively).

In usage, recurrir expresses turning to a resource, measure, or authority for help or support. It can describe repeated past behavior or circumstances that required seeking assistance, whether practical, legal, or rhetorical. Examples include: Yo recurría a mis ahorros cuando no tenía suficiente dinero; El país recurría a la ayuda internacional para afrontar la crisis. The sense can be literal, as in seeking financial or logistical support, or more abstract, such as resorting to memories or precedents.

Etymology traces recurrir to Latin recurrere, from re- “back, again” and currere “to run,” reflecting the idea of turning back or returning to a source. In modern Spanish, recurrir remains common in both everyday speech and formal registers. Related forms include the present recurrir, the preterite recurrí, and the subjunctive forms recurras and recurra, all sharing the same core meaning of turning to or returning to a resource.