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yo contaba

was telling, used to tell, was counting on, used to count on

→ contar
cont to count + aba imperfect indicative/subjunctive, 1st or 3rd person singular
verb · 1st-person singular / 3rd-person singular, imperfect tense Uncommon #17,235
was telling, used to tell The imperfect form describes an ongoing or habitual action in the past.
SP: Mi abuelo me contaba historias antes de dormir.
EN: My grandfather used to tell me stories before bed.
was counting on, used to count on With “con,” contar means to rely on someone or something.
SP: Contaba con tu ayuda.
EN: I was counting on your help.
Conjugation of contar
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
First contaba —
Third contaba —
Subjunctive imperfect
SingularPlural
First contaba —
Second contaras —
Third contaba —
contara

Esas historias que mamá contaba, todas son ciertas.

Those stories Mom used to tell—they are all true.

— La canción del mar (2014)

No paraba de llorar mientras nos lo contaba.

They couldn't stop crying as they told us about it.

— Ofrenda a la tormenta (2020)

María, a través de Twitter, nos contaba esto.

María was telling us this on Twitter.

— El cuaderno de Tomy (2020)

El Sr. Kovak me contaba que le encanta cuando hace frío.

Mr. Kovak was telling me that he loves it when it's cold.

— Una película de miedo (2000)

Ya contaba con tu ayuda en el bar esta noche.

I was already counting on your help at the bar tonight.

— Suzume (2022)

Solo me contaba cosas buenas.

He only told me good things.

— Pedro Páramo (2024)

No digo que esto estuviera previsto, pero en cierto sentido contaba con ello.

I'm not saying this was planned, but in a way I expected it.

— Divorzio all'italiana (1961)

Mi padre a menudo nos contaba acerca de sus días de estudiante.

My father often told us about his student days.

Por si contaba con su aparición.

Just in case I was counting on her appearance.

— El Paciente Inglés (1996)

Juan me dijo que si algún día contaba nuestra historia, que no dijera la verdad.

Juan told me that if I ever told our story, I shouldn't tell the truth.

— Museo (2018)

Ella contaba con ello, señora Klaaß.

She was counting on it, Mrs. Klaaß.

— Systemsprenger (2019)

Mi padre me tenía sobre sus rodillas mientras me contaba canciones de su tierra.

My father held me on his lap while he sang me songs from his homeland.

Los contaba siempre.

I always counted them.

— Summertime (1955)

Eso sí, él no contaba nada, a nadie.

Mind you, he didn't tell anything to anyone.

— Los lunes al sol (2002)

No contaba con eso.

I wasn't counting on that.

Escoba y gato negro, como me contaba mi bisabuela.

Broom and black cat, as my great-grandmother told me.

— Kiki: Entregas a Domicilio (1989)

Él me contaba historias sobre la India.

He used to tell me stories about India.

Contaba con todo eso.

I was counting on all that.

— Chicago (2002)

Teníamos un acuerdo, contaba contigo.

We had an agreement, I was counting on you.

— Les invasions barbares (2003)

Es una historia que nos contaba mi abuela.

It's a story my grandmother used to tell us.

Él me dijo que si yo le contaba a usted, él me iba a matar a mí y a Santi.

He told me that if I told you, he was going to kill me and Santi.

— Crímenes de familia (2020)

No contaba con volver a ver te.

I didn't expect to see you again.

— Indiana Jones 3: La Última Cruzada (1989)

El niño contaba sus pasos mientras caminaba.

The boy counted his steps as he walked.