adornar Imperfect Conjugation
adornar — to decorate
The imperfect 'adornaba' describes ongoing or habitual past decorating.
adornar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect of 'adornar' to describe actions of decorating that were happening over a period of time in the past, or were habitual. For example, 'Cuando era niño, adornaba el árbol con mis abuelos' (When I was a child, I used to decorate the tree with my grandparents) or 'La habitación se adornaba con pinturas antiguas' (The room was decorated with old paintings - setting the scene).
Notes on adornar in the Imperfect
Adornar is regular in the imperfect tense.
Example Sentences
Yo adornaba mi cuarto con fotos.
I used to decorate my room with photos.
yo
¿Tú adornabas la mesa para cada ocasión especial?
Did you used to decorate the table for every special occasion?
tú
Ella adornaba el escaparate de la tienda cada mes.
She used to decorate the shop window every month.
él/ella/usted
Ellos adornaban el patio con guirnaldas.
They were decorating the patio with garlands.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'adornó' for a description or habit.
Correct: For past habits or descriptions, use the imperfect: 'Ella adornaba' (She used to decorate / was decorating), not 'Ella adornó' (She decorated - completed action).
Why: The imperfect sets the background or describes ongoing/habitual past actions, whereas the preterite focuses on completed events.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: adorno
The present tense 'adorno' is for decorating happening now or habitually.
Preterite
yo: adorné
Regular preterite forms like 'adorné' and 'adornaron' are used for completed past actions of decorating.
Future
yo: adornaré
The future tense 'adornaré' indicates decorating that will happen.
Conditional
yo: adornaría
The conditional 'adornaría' is for hypothetical decorating or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: adorne
The present subjunctive 'adorne' is used for wishes, doubts, and after certain expressions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: adornara
The imperfect subjunctive 'adornara'/'adornase' is for hypothetical past situations or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: adorna
Use 'adorna' (tú) and 'adornen' (ustedes) for direct commands to decorate.
Negative Imperative
yo: no adornes
Use 'no adornes' (tú) and 'no adornen' (ustedes) for negative commands not to decorate.