What is the imperfect of ver in Spanish?

Veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían. All forms carry an accent on the í. Used for ongoing or habitual past seeing/watching. Veía a mis abuelos cada domingo = I used to see my grandparents every Sunday.

Why is the imperfect of ver veía and not vía?

Ver keeps the e from its stem in the imperfect. Most -er verbs (com-er) drop nothing, but ver's short stem (ve-) means we get veía instead of the contracted *vía. This makes ver one of three irregular imperfects (alongside ser and ir).

What's the difference between veía and vi?

Veía (imperfect) = ongoing or habitual past seeing. Vi (preterite) = single completed sighting. Veía a mi abuela los domingos = I used to see my grandma on Sundays (habit). Vi a mi abuela ayer = I saw my grandma yesterday (one event).

Why do all imperfect ver forms carry an accent on í?

The í is the stressed vowel in each form. Without the accent, the natural stress would fall elsewhere (e.g., veias would stress vei-, not -ia). The accent preserves the correct pronunciation.

How can I master the imperfect of ver?

Memorize the six forms as a unit and practice in habitual contexts (Veía X cada domingo) and interrupted contexts (Veía la tele cuando...). Parrot's videos surface veía / veíamos in real conversation, cementing the pattern.

Spanish grammar · Intermediate

Imperfect of Ver: Veía, Veías, Veía, Conjugation and Use

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

The imperfect of ver is one of only three irregular imperfects in Spanish: veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían. The irregularity is keeping the e from the stem (ve-) rather than dropping it. Used for ongoing or habitual past seeing.

Veía a mis abuelos cada domingo.

I used to see my grandparents every Sunday.

What it is

The imperfect of ver is one of only three irregular imperfects in Spanish: veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían. The irregularity is small: the stem keeps the e (ve-), so endings attach as veía instead of *vía. All forms carry an accent on the í.

In Veía a mis abuelos cada domingo (I used to see my grandparents every Sunday), veía is the imperfect yo / él / ella form of ver, describing a habitual past action.

How to spot it

Look for veía, veías, veíamos, veían. All carry the í accent. Common in descriptions of past habits (cada día, siempre, todos los domingos) and ongoing past actions interrupted by another event.

Veía la televisión cuando llegó. — I was watching TV when he arrived.
Veíamos películas todos los viernes. — We used to watch movies every Friday.
No los veía mucho. — I didn't see them much.

Imperfect ver (veía) describes ongoing or habitual past seeing/watching. Preterite ver (vi) describes a single completed seeing event.

Imperfect of Ver Quick Reference

Imperfect of ver, all forms carry accent on í

Person	Form	Translation
yo	veía	I was seeing / used to see
tú	veías	you were seeing / used to see
él/ella/Ud.	veía	he/she/it was seeing
nosotros	veíamos	we were seeing / used to see
vosotros	veíais	you all were seeing (Spain)
ellos/ellas/Uds.	veían	they were seeing / used to see

Common Imperfect of Ver Examples in Spanish

The imperfect of ver in real Spanish contexts:

Habitual Past Seeing

Veía a mis abuelos cada domingo.: I used to see my grandparents every Sunday.
Veíamos películas todos los viernes.: We used to watch movies every Friday.
Mis padres veían las noticias por la noche.: My parents used to watch the news at night.
Siempre te veía en la cafetería.: I always used to see you in the cafeteria.
Veían a su tío en vacaciones.: They used to see their uncle on vacation.

Use imperfect for repeated past seeings: cada, todos los, siempre, normalmente.

Ongoing Past Action Interrupted

Veía la televisión cuando sonó el teléfono.: I was watching TV when the phone rang.
Veíamos un partido cuando llegaste.: We were watching a game when you arrived.
Veían las estrellas cuando empezó a llover.: They were looking at the stars when it started to rain.
Veías la película cuando me dormí.: You were watching the movie when I fell asleep.
Veía a la chica del bus cada mañana.: I used to see the girl from the bus every morning.

Imperfect ver (background ongoing action) + cuando + preterite (interrupting event).

Past Descriptions and Perceptions

Desde mi ventana veía el mar.: From my window I used to see / could see the sea.
No veía bien sin gafas.: I couldn't see well without glasses.
Veían que algo no estaba bien.: They could see something wasn't right.
Veía claramente que mentía.: I clearly saw that he was lying.
Veíamos pocas oportunidades.: We were seeing few opportunities.

Imperfect for ongoing perceptions, mental seeing, or background visibility.

Comparison with Preterite (Vi)

Vi a mi abuela ayer (one event) vs. veía a mi abuela los domingos (habit).: I saw my grandma yesterday vs. I used to see my grandma on Sundays.
Vi la película el sábado (one viewing) vs. veía la película cada año (yearly habit).: I saw the movie Saturday vs. I used to watch the movie every year.
Lo vi una vez (single event) vs. lo veía siempre (habitual).: I saw him once vs. I always used to see him.
Vi cómo se cayó (saw it happen) vs. veía cómo trabajaba (was observing).: I saw how he fell vs. I was watching how he worked.
Vimos una película (one event) vs. veíamos películas (habitual).: We saw a movie vs. we used to watch movies.

Vi = single completed sighting. Veía = ongoing or habitual seeing.

How to Use the Imperfect of Ver

Why Ver Is Irregular: Keeps the E

Most -er verbs drop the e from the stem in the imperfect (com-er → com-ía). Ver is special: the stem ve- keeps the e, so the forms become veía instead of *vía. All forms carry an accent on the í to mark the stressed vowel.

ver → veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían.

I/he/she was seeing... we were seeing... they were seeing.

Ver keeps the e. All forms: ve- + -ía endings.

Use for Habits and Ongoing Past Actions

Imperfect ver describes habits (cada domingo, todos los días, siempre) or ongoing actions that set the stage for another event.

Veía la tele cuando llegó. Veía a mis abuelos cada domingo.

I was watching TV when he arrived. I used to see my grandparents every Sunday.

Imperfect = habit or background. Preterite = single completed event.

Distinguish from Preterite (Vi)

Imperfect (veía) = ongoing or habitual seeing. Preterite (vi) = single completed sighting. The same situation can be cast either way depending on whether you want to describe it as a habit or as a one-time event.

Veía la película (was watching it). Vi la película (saw it, finished).

Same situation, different aspect.

Was seeing / used to see = imperfect. Saw = preterite.

One of Only Three Irregular Imperfects

Spanish imperfect is overwhelmingly regular. Only three verbs have irregular imperfects: ser (era), ir (iba), ver (veía). All other verbs follow the standard -aba (-ar) or -ía (-er/-ir) pattern.

ser: era. ir: iba. ver: veía.

Three irregular imperfects.

Memorize these three as a set.

Common Mistakes with Imperfect of Ver

Incorrect: Yo vía a mis abuelos cada domingo. — I used to see my grandparents every Sunday.

Correct: Yo veía a mis abuelos cada domingo. — I used to see my grandparents every Sunday.

Ver keeps the e from the stem. The form is veía (with the e), not *vía. This is the small but important irregularity that distinguishes ver's imperfect from other -er verbs.

Incorrect: Vi a mi abuela los domingos. (meant: used to see) — I used to see my grandma on Sundays.

Correct: Veía a mi abuela los domingos. — I used to see my grandma on Sundays.

For a habit (los domingos = every Sunday), use the imperfect (veía), not the preterite (vi). Preterite would mean I saw my grandma on (a specific set of) Sundays.

Incorrect: Veiamos películas cada viernes. — We used to watch movies every Friday.

Correct: Veíamos películas cada viernes. — We used to watch movies every Friday.

All imperfect forms of ver carry an accent on the í: veía, veías, veíamos, veíais, veían. Without the accent, the stress shifts incorrectly.

Three Irregular Imperfects: Ser, Ir, Ver

Only Three Imperfects Are Irregular

Spanish imperfect is overwhelmingly regular. Only three verbs have irregular imperfects: ser (era), ir (iba), ver (veía). Every other verb follows the standard pattern.

ser: era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran.: I was...
ir: iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban.: I went / used to go...
ver: veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían.: I saw / used to see...

Every other verb follows the regular imperfect pattern (-aba for -ar verbs, -ía for -er / -ir verbs).

Ver's Irregularity Is Smaller Than Ser or Ir

Ser and ir have completely irregular imperfect stems (era, iba). Ver's only irregularity is keeping the e from the stem, so the forms look almost regular (veía) but with the e preserved.

ver → veía (keeps e). Regular -er would be *vía.: Ver keeps the stem e.
Compare: comer → comía (regular).: Comer drops nothing.
leer → leía (regular, keeps e too).: Leer is regular even though it keeps e.

Technically only ser and ir are considered fully irregular. Ver is sometimes called a borderline case because the irregularity is just keeping the stem vowel.

Imperfect of Ver FAQs

What is the imperfect of ver in Spanish?: Veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían. All forms carry an accent on the í. Used for ongoing or habitual past seeing/watching. Veía a mis abuelos cada domingo = I used to see my grandparents every Sunday.
Why is the imperfect of ver veía and not vía?: Ver keeps the e from its stem in the imperfect. Most -er verbs (com-er) drop nothing, but ver's short stem (ve-) means we get veía instead of the contracted *vía. This makes ver one of three irregular imperfects (alongside ser and ir).
What's the difference between veía and vi?: Veía (imperfect) = ongoing or habitual past seeing. Vi (preterite) = single completed sighting. Veía a mi abuela los domingos = I used to see my grandma on Sundays (habit). Vi a mi abuela ayer = I saw my grandma yesterday (one event).
Why do all imperfect ver forms carry an accent on í?: The í is the stressed vowel in each form. Without the accent, the natural stress would fall elsewhere (e.g., veias would stress vei-, not -ia). The accent preserves the correct pronunciation.
How can I master the imperfect of ver?: Memorize the six forms as a unit and practice in habitual contexts (Veía X cada domingo) and interrupted contexts (Veía la tele cuando...). Parrot's videos surface veía / veíamos in real conversation, cementing the pattern.