Question 1

Why do we use guardaba and buscaba instead of the regular past tense here?

Accepted Answer

These verbs are in the imperfect tense, which we use to talk about ongoing past habits or routines. The English translations 'used to put away' and 'would look for' show that this was a repeated game they played in the past, not just a one-time event.

Question 2

Both guardaba and buscaba end in -aba. How can we tell who is doing the action?

Accepted Answer

In the imperfect tense, the yo (I) and él/ella/usted (he/she/you formal) forms are exactly the same. Here, Mi hermana tells us the sister was doing the first action, and the pronoun yo in yo las buscaba clarifies that 'I' was doing the looking. Without yo, a listener might assume the sister was doing both actions!

Question 3

The translation says 'I would look for them,' but where is the word for 'for'?

Accepted Answer

The Spanish verb buscar means 'to look for' all by itself. You never need to add a translation for 'for' (like por or para) after it.

Question 4

Why is there a las in front of buscaba?

Accepted Answer

Las is a direct object pronoun that means 'them' (feminine plural). It replaces las muñecas (the dolls) so we don't have to repeat the noun. In Spanish, these pronouns usually go right before the conjugated verb.

Question 5

Does guardar mean 'to guard'?

Accepted Answer

It can sometimes mean to protect, but everyday Spanish speakers usually use guardar to mean 'to put away,' 'to keep,' or 'to save.' In this sentence, the sister was putting the dolls away so the speaker could hunt for them.

Mi hermana guardaba las muñecas y yo las buscaba.

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