alejar Imperfect Conjugation
alejar — to move away
The imperfect 'alejaba' describes ongoing or habitual past actions and background.
alejar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense for actions that were happening over a period of time in the past, for repeated actions, or to describe the background setting. Think of it as setting the scene or describing what *used* to happen.
Notes on alejar in the Imperfect
Alejar is regular in the imperfect indicative. The forms are made by taking the infinitive stem and adding the imperfect endings (-aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban).
Example Sentences
Yo me alejaba de la casa cuando empezó a llover.
I was moving away from the house when it started to rain.
yo
Tú te alejabas del grupo cada vez más.
You were distancing yourself from the group more and more.
tú
Él se alejaba del problema en lugar de enfrentarlo.
He used to distance himself from the problem instead of facing it.
él/ella/usted
Ellos se alejaban del centro de la ciudad.
They were moving away from the city center.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single, completed past action.
Correct: For a completed action, use the preterite: 'Me alejé' (I moved away).
Why: The imperfect describes unfinished or habitual past actions, while the preterite describes completed ones.
Mistake: Confusing the imperfect 'alejaba' with the present 'alejo'.
Correct: 'Alejaba' is past, 'alejo' is present.
Why: The '-aba' ending clearly marks the imperfect tense.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: alejo
The present tense 'alejo' describes current actions, habits, or general truths.
Preterite
yo: alejé
The preterite 'alejé' is for completed past actions with a clear end point.
Future
yo: alejaré
The future tense 'alejaré' is for actions that will happen or to express probability.
Conditional
yo: alejaría
The conditional 'aljaría' expresses 'would' actions, polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: aleje
The present subjunctive 'aleje' is used for wishes, doubts, emotions, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: alejara
The imperfect subjunctive 'alejara' or 'alejase' is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: aleja
Use 'aleja' (tú), 'aleje' (usted), 'alejemos' (nosotros), 'alejad' (vosotros), 'alejen' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: alejes
Use 'no alejes' (tú), 'no aleje' (usted), 'no alejemos' (nosotros), 'no alejéis' (vosotros), 'no alejen' (ustedes) for negative commands.