apresar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
apresar — to capture
The imperfect subjunctive (apresara/apresarais/apresaran) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or conditions.
apresar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
This tense is great for talking about past events that were uncertain, hypothetical, or expressed as wishes or doubts. Think of 'if I had captured...' or 'I wish they would capture...'. It often appears in dependent clauses.
Notes on apresar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Apresar is regular in the imperfect subjunctive. You can form it from the preterite nosotros form ('apresamos') by dropping the '-mos' and adding the appropriate endings (-ra, -ras, -ra, -ramos, -rais, -ran).
Example Sentences
Si yo apresara al culpable, estaría más tranquilo.
If I captured the culprit, I would be calmer.
yo
Ojalá tú apresaras la oportunidad.
I wish you would seize the opportunity.
tú
Me pidieron que apresara los documentos importantes.
They asked me to capture the important documents.
él/ella/usted
Dudaba que ellos apresaran la información a tiempo.
I doubted they would capture the information in time.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Nos sorprendió que vosotros apresarais la noticia tan rápido.
It surprised us that you all captured the news so quickly.
vosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect subjunctive in conditional clauses.
Correct: For hypothetical past situations, use the imperfect subjunctive (e.g., 'si apresara' not 'si apresé').
Why: The imperfect subjunctive is specifically designed for hypothetical or counterfactual scenarios in the past.
Mistake: Confusing the -ra and -se forms.
Correct: Both 'apresara' and 'apresase' (and their variations) are correct imperfect subjunctive forms, but the -ra form is more common.
Why: Spanish has two sets of endings for the imperfect subjunctive, but they are largely interchangeable in meaning.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: apreso
The present tense of 'apresar' is regular: 'apreso', 'apresas', 'apresa', 'apresamos', 'apresáis', 'apresan'.
Preterite
yo: apresé
The preterite of 'apresar' is regular: 'apresé', 'apresaste', 'apresó', 'apresamos', 'apresasteis', 'apresaron'.
Imperfect
yo: apresaba
The imperfect of 'apresar' is regular: 'apresaba', 'apresabas', 'apresaba', 'apresábamos', 'apresabais', 'apresaban'.
Future
yo: apresaré
The future tense of 'apresar' is regular: 'apresaré', 'apresarás', 'apresará', 'apresaremos', 'apresaréis', 'apresarán'.
Conditional
yo: apresaría
The conditional of 'apresar' is regular: 'apresaría', 'apresarías', 'apresaría', 'apresaríamos', 'apresaríais', 'apresarían'.
Present Subjunctive
yo: aprese
Use the present subjunctive (aprese, apreses, apresemos, etc.) after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: apresa
Use imperative forms like 'apresa' (tú) and 'apresen' (ustedes) for direct commands with 'apresar'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no apreses
Negative commands with 'apresar' use 'no' plus the present subjunctive, like 'no apreses' (tú) or 'no apresen' (ustedes).