aguardar Imperfect Conjugation
aguardar — to wait for
The imperfect 'aguardaba' describes ongoing or habitual waiting in the past.
aguardar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background descriptions or ongoing actions in the past. 'Yo aguardaba el autobús cuando empezó a llover' (I was waiting for the bus when it started to rain) or 'Ella siempre aguardaba el tren en el mismo andén' (She always waited for the train on the same platform). It sets the scene without a defined end.
Notes on aguardar in the Imperfect
Aguardar is regular in the imperfect tense. All forms follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs, adding '-aba' to the stem.
Example Sentences
Yo aguardaba noticias de mi familia.
I was waiting for news from my family.
yo
Tú aguardabas en la sala de espera.
You were waiting in the waiting room.
tú
Él aguardaba su turno con impaciencia.
He was impatiently waiting for his turn.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros aguardábamos la llegada del director.
We were waiting for the director's arrival.
nosotros
Ellos aguardaban en la cola.
They were waiting in line.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'aguardó' instead of the imperfect 'aguardaba' for ongoing past actions.
Correct: Use 'aguardaba' to describe the background or an action in progress in the past.
Why: The imperfect describes the scene or duration, while the preterite describes a completed event.
Mistake: Confusing the nosotros form 'aguardábamos' with other past tense endings.
Correct: Remember the '-ábamos' ending for the imperfect nosotros form.
Why: This ending is specific to the imperfect tense and the nosotros pronoun.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: aguardo
The present tense 'aguardo', 'aguardas', 'aguarda' describes current or habitual waiting.
Preterite
yo: aguardé
The preterite of 'aguardar' is regular: aguardé, aguardaste, aguardó, aguardamos, aguardasteis, aguardaron.
Future
yo: aguardaré
The future tense 'aguardaré', 'aguardarás' indicates future waiting or probability.
Conditional
yo: aguardaría
The conditional 'aguardaría' expresses hypothetical waiting or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: aguarde
The present subjunctive ('aguarde', 'aguardes') is used for wishes, doubts, and emotions about waiting.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: aguardara
The imperfect subjunctive ('aguardara'/'aguardase') expresses hypothetical or uncertain waiting in the past.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: aguarda
Use 'aguarda' (tú) and 'aguarden' (ustedes) for direct commands to wait.
Negative Imperative
yo: no aguardes
Use 'no aguardes' (tú) and 'no aguarden' (ustedes) for negative commands to not wait.