alejar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
alejar — to move away
The imperfect subjunctive 'alejara' or 'alejase' is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
alejar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
This tense is great for talking about hypothetical situations in the past or present, especially in 'if' clauses. It's also used for polite requests or expressing wishes related to a past event or a hypothetical scenario.
Notes on alejar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Alejar is regular in the imperfect subjunctive. You can use either the -ra form (alejara, alejaras, etc.) or the -se form (alecase, alecajes, etc.). The -ra form is more common.
Example Sentences
Si yo me alejara de ti, ¿me extrañarías?
If I moved away from you, would you miss me?
yo
Ojalá él no se alejara tanto de la familia.
I wish he wouldn't distance himself so much from the family.
él/ella/usted
Nos pidieron que nos alejáramos de la zona de peligro.
They asked us to move away from the danger zone.
nosotros
Me gustaría que tú te alejaras de esa mala influencia.
I would like you to distance yourself from that bad influence.
tú
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect subjunctive for hypothetical 'if' clauses.
Correct: Use 'alejara' or 'alejase' after 'si' for hypotheticals.
Why: The imperfect subjunctive is the mood and tense required for unreal or hypothetical conditions in Spanish.
Mistake: Confusing the -ra and -se forms.
Correct: Both 'alejara' and 'alercase' are correct imperfect subjunctive forms.
Why: While both are grammatically correct, the -ra form is more widely used in everyday conversation.
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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.
Imperfect
yo: alejaba
The imperfect 'alejaba' describes ongoing or habitual past actions and background.
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.
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.