spostavano

Spostavano is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb spostare. It denotes an action that was ongoing, repeated, or customary in the past, without a definite endpoint, and is typically translated as "they were moving" or "they used to move."

The verb spostare means to move something from one place to another, to relocate, or to shift. It can be used in literal sense (moving objects or people) or in figurative senses (moving a position, shifting attention, etc.). As an -are verb, spostare follows the standard imperfect endings: -avo, -avi, -ava, -avamo, -avate, -avano, yielding spostavo, spostavi, spostava, spostavamo, spostavate, spostavano.

Usage examples illustrate its grammatical function in context. For instance: "I mobili spostavano spesso da una stanza all'altra" (They often moved the furniture from one room to another) or more naturally, "I mobili si spostavano spesso da una stanza all'altra." In narrative prose, spostavano can describe habitual past actions or scenes where the movement occurred over an extended period.

Related terms include the infinitive spostare, the passato prossimo form spostato, and other verbs with similar senses of moving or shifting, such as traslare or muovere, each with its own nuances.

See also: spostare, muovere, traslare, imperfect indicative in Italian grammar.