aplicar Imperfect Conjugation
aplicar — to apply
The imperfect of aplicar is regular: aplicaba, aplicabas, aplicaba, aplicábamos, aplicabais, aplicaban.
aplicar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use this for ongoing past actions or habits, like a treatment you used to apply every night or a rule that used to apply.
Notes on aplicar in the Imperfect
Aplicar is fully regular in the imperfect. Note the accent on the 'nosotros' form.
Example Sentences
Antes, yo aplicaba el gel dos veces al día.
Before, I used to apply the gel twice a day.
yo
En esa época, no aplicábamos estas leyes.
In those days, we didn't apply these laws.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'aplicábamos'.
Correct: aplicábamos
Why: All -ar verbs in the imperfect require an accent on the first 'a' of the 'nosotros' ending.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'aplicar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: aplico
The present tense of aplicar is regular: aplico, aplicas, aplica, aplicamos, aplicáis, aplican.
Preterite
yo: apliqué
The preterite has a spelling change in the 'yo' form (apliqué) to keep the 'k' sound.
Future
yo: aplicaré
The future of aplicar is regular: aplicaré, aplicarás, aplicará, aplicaremos, aplicaréis, aplicarán.
Conditional
yo: aplicaría
The conditional of aplicar is regular: aplicaría, aplicarías, aplicaría, aplicaríamos, aplicaríais, aplicarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: aplique
All forms of the present subjunctive change 'c' to 'qu': aplique, apliques, aplique, apliquemos, apliquéis, apliquen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: aplicara
The imperfect subjunctive is regular: aplicara, aplicaras, aplicara, aplicáramos, aplicarais, aplicaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: aplica
Give commands using 'aplica' (tú) or 'aplique' (usted/formal).
Negative Imperative
yo: no apliques
Negative commands always use 'qu': no apliques, no aplique, no apliquemos, no apliquéis, no apliquen.