acaparar Imperfect Conjugation
acaparar — to hoard
The imperfect of acaparar (acaparaba, acaparaban) describes habitual or ongoing past hoarding.
acaparar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect of 'acaparar' to describe habitual hoarding in the past ('He always hoarded my attention') or ongoing hoarding that was happening in the background ('While the adults talked, he was hoarding snacks').
Notes on acaparar in the Imperfect
'Acaparar' is regular in the imperfect indicative. All forms follow the standard conjugation pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
De niño, yo acaparaba todos los juguetes.
As a child, I used to hoard all the toys.
yo
Ella acaparaba la atención del profesor.
She was hoarding/monopolizing the teacher's attention.
él/ella/usted
¿Tú acaparabas mucho cuando eras pequeño?
Did you used to hoard a lot when you were little?
tú
Ellos acaparaban comida por si acaso.
They used to hoard food just in case.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'acaparó' instead of the imperfect 'acaparaba' for a past habit.
Correct: For habitual actions in the past, use the imperfect 'acaparaba'.
Why: The preterite describes completed actions, while the imperfect describes ongoing or repeated actions in the past.
Mistake: Confusing the 'nosotros' imperfect form.
Correct: The 'nosotros' form is 'acaparábamos', with the accent on the second 'a'.
Why: This specific accent placement is characteristic of the imperfect tense for -ar verbs and can be easily misplaced.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: acaparo
The present indicative of acaparar is regular: acaparo, acaparas, acapara, acaparamos, acaparís, acaparan.
Preterite
yo: acaparé
The preterite of acaparar is regular: acaparé, acaparaste, acaparó, acaparamos, acaparasteis, acapararon.
Future
yo: acapararé
The future tense of acaparar is regular: acapararé, acapararás, acaparará, acapararemos, acapararéis, acapararán.
Conditional
yo: acapararía
The conditional of acaparar is regular: acapararía, acapararías, acapararía, acapararíamos, acapararíais, acapararian.
Present Subjunctive
yo: acapare
The present subjunctive of acaparar (acapare, acaparen) follows expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: acaparara
The imperfect subjunctive of acaparar (acaparara, acaparasen) is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: acapara
The imperative of acaparar has regular commands like ¡acapara! (tú) and ¡acaparen! (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no acapares
Negative commands for acaparar use 'no' plus the present subjunctive, like 'no acapares' (tú) and 'no acaparen' (ustedes).