sonreía

Sonreía is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb sonreír, meaning to smile. It is used to describe past actions that were habitual, ongoing, or background in nature, as well as past states of smiling.

Etymology and usage: sonreír derives from Latin subridēre, meaning to smile or to smile at someone. In modern Spanish, sonreír is an intransitive verb that can take a direct or indirect object with the preposition a (sonreía a alguien: I was smiling at someone). The imperfect form sonreía commonly conveys routine past action, a gradual or descriptive mood in narratives, or a courtesy gesture in the past.

Conjugation in the imperfect: yo sonreía, tú sonreías, él/ella/usted sonreía, nosotros/nosotras sonreíamos, vosotros/vosotras sonreíais, ellos/ellas/ustedes sonreían. The form can be used in a variety of tenses when combined with the imperfect or narrative framework, and it contrasts with the preterite sonrió, which denotes a completed past action.

Examples and nuances: used in descriptions like “Ella sonreía cada vez que lo veía,” meaning she used to smile every time she saw him, or “Durante la ceremonia, sonreía sin poder evitarlo,” indicating a continued or background smiling moment. Sonreír can be followed by a, indicating the recipient of the smile.

See also: sonreír, sonrisa, gramática verbal española.