alcanzar Imperfect Conjugation
alcanzar — to reach
The imperfect of alcanzar is regular: alcanzaba, alcanzabas, alcanzaba, alcanzábamos, alcanzabais, alcanzaban.
alcanzar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe a time when you were trying to reach something, or to describe a past state where you regularly reached certain heights or goals.
Notes on alcanzar in the Imperfect
Alcanzar is fully regular in the imperfect. Note the accent on the 'nosotros' form (alcanzábamos).
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, no alcanzaba el timbre.
When I was a child, I couldn't reach the doorbell.
yo
Nosotros siempre alcanzábamos nuestras cuotas de ventas.
We always used to reach our sales quotas.
nosotros
Ustedes alcanzaban la cima cada verano.
You all used to reach the summit every summer.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on alcanzábamos.
Correct: alcanzábamos
Why: All -ar verbs in the imperfect indicative require an accent on the 'a' in the nosotros form.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: alcanzo
The present tense of alcanzar is regular: alcanzo, alcanzas, alcanza, alcanzamos, alcanzáis, alcanzan.
Preterite
yo: alcancé
Alcanzar has a spelling change in the yo form (alcancé) to maintain the soft 'c' sound.
Future
yo: alcanzaré
The future of alcanzar uses the full infinitive as the base: alcanzaré, alcanzarás, alcanzará, alcanzaremos, alcanzaréis, alcanzarán.
Conditional
yo: alcanzaría
The conditional of alcanzar is regular: alcanzaría, alcanzarías, alcanzaría, alcanzaríamos, alcanzaríais, alcanzarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: alcance
The present subjunctive of alcanzar features a 'z' to 'c' spelling change in every form: alcance, alcances, alcance, etc.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: alcanzara
The imperfect subjunctive of alcanzar is regular based on the preterite stem: alcanzara, alcanzaras, alcanzara, alcanzáramos, alcanzarais, alcanzaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: alcanza
The imperative of alcanzar uses 'alcanza' for tú and 'alcance(n)' for formal commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no alcances
The negative imperative of alcanzar uses the present subjunctive forms with 'no'.