This is the 12887th most frequent Spanish word.
participaba
"Participaba" means "was participating" or "used to participate."
This uses "participaba" in the imperfect tense, indicating a habitual action in the past.
Cuando era joven, participaba en competiciones deportivas cada fin de semana.
When I was young, I participated in sports competitions every weekend.
This uses "participaba" to describe a progressive action in the past.
En la reunión de ayer, participaba activamente en la discusión sobre el presupuesto.
At yesterday's meeting, I was actively participating in the discussion about the budget.
This portrays "participaba" as a repeated or consistent past action.