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QUICK ANSWER
"Estaba lloviendo" is a form of "estaba lloviendo", a phrase which is often translated as "it was raining". "Llovía" is a form of "llover", an impersonal verb which is often translated as "to rain". Learn more about the difference between "estaba lloviendo" and "llovía" below.
estaba lloviendo(
ehs
-
tah
-
bah
 
yoh
-
byehn
-
doh
)
A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
phrase
a. it was raining
Estaba lloviendo y hacía mucho calor.It was raining and it was really hot.
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llover(
yoh
-
behr
)
An impersonal verb is a verb with no apparent subject (e.g., Llueve en España.).
impersonal verb
a. to rain
Ha estado lloviendo todo el día.It's been raining all day.
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
intransitive verb
a. to rain down on (figurative)
Me llovieron todo tipo de problemas.All sorts of problems rained down on me.
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