alcanzar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
alcanzar — to reach
The imperfect subjunctive of alcanzar is regular based on the preterite stem: alcanzara, alcanzaras, alcanzara, alcanzáramos, alcanzarais, alcanzaran.
alcanzar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
Use this for hypothetical situations (like 'If I reached...') or when a past wish or doubt influenced whether someone reached a goal.
Notes on alcanzar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
This tense uses the 'z' again because the endings start with 'a'. It follows the standard pattern derived from the 3rd person plural preterite (alcanzaron).
Example Sentences
Si yo alcanzara esa rama, podría bajar el gato.
If I reached that branch, I could get the cat down.
yo
Quería que ellos alcanzaran un acuerdo.
I wanted them to reach an agreement.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Si nosotros alcanzáramos la cima, estaríamos felices.
If we reached the summit, we would be happy.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'alcancara' (with a 'c').
Correct: alcanzara
Why: Since the vowel following the stem is 'a', the 'z' is kept. The change to 'c' only happens before 'e' or 'i'.
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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.
Imperfect
yo: alcanzaba
The imperfect of alcanzar is regular: alcanzaba, alcanzabas, alcanzaba, alcanzábamos, alcanzabais, alcanzaban.
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.
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'.