apilar Imperfect Conjugation
apilar — to stack
The imperfect of apilar is regular: apilaba, apilabas, apilaba, apilábamos, apilabais, apilaban.
apilar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past, or to set the scene. Think of it as describing what *used to happen* or what *was happening* without a specific end point.
Notes on apilar in the Imperfect
Apilar is regular in the imperfect tense. All forms are predictable.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, apilaba mis juguetes en mi habitación.
When I was a child, I used to stack my toys in my room.
yo
Tú siempre apilabas los platos en la pila.
You always used to stack the plates in the sink.
tú
Mientras mi padre leía, mi madre apilaba la ropa limpia.
While my father read, my mother was stacking the clean clothes.
él/ella/usted
Ellos apilaban las sillas después de cerrar la cafetería.
They used to stack the chairs after closing the cafeteria.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'apilaba' for a single completed action (should be preterite).
Correct: Use the preterite 'apilé' for a specific, finished action: 'Apilé la caja ayer'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, not one-off completed events.
Mistake: Confusing the imperfect 'apilábamos' with the present 'apilamos' or preterite 'apilamos'.
Correct: Remember the double 'b' in the imperfect: 'apilábamos'.
Why: The 'b' sound is characteristic of the imperfect tense for regular -ar verbs.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: apilo
The present tense of apilar is regular: apilo, apilas, apila, apilamos, apiláis, apilan.
Preterite
yo: apilé
The preterite of apilar is regular: apilé, apilaste, apiló, apilamos, apilasteis, apilaron.
Future
yo: apilaré
The future tense of apilar is regular: apilaré, apilarás, apilará, apilaremos, apilaréis, apilarán.
Conditional
yo: apilaría
The conditional of apilar is regular: apilaría, apilarías, apilaría, apilaríamos, apilaríais, apilarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: apile
The present subjunctive is used after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty, like 'Espero que apiles bien'.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: apilara
The imperfect subjunctive (-ra or -se form) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests, like 'si apilara' or 'si apilase'.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: apila
Use 'apila' for tú commands, 'apile' for usted/ustedes, 'apilad' for vosotros, and 'apilemos' for nosotros.
Negative Imperative
yo: no apiles
Negative commands use 'no' plus the present subjunctive: 'no apiles' (tú), 'no apile' (usted/ustedes), 'no apiléis' (vosotros), 'no apilemos' (nosotros).