apuñalar Imperfect Conjugation
apuñalar — to stab
The imperfect of apuñalar describes ongoing or habitual past actions: apuñalaba, apuñalabas, apuñalaba, apuñalábamos, apuñalabais, apuñalaban.
apuñalar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense for actions that were happening repeatedly or continuously in the past, or to describe background settings. For example, 'When I was a child, I used to stab practice targets every day.'
Notes on apuñalar in the Imperfect
Apuñalar is regular in the imperfect indicative. All regular -ar verbs follow the same pattern.
Example Sentences
Yo apuñalaba la piñata cada año en mi cumpleaños.
I used to stab the piñata every year on my birthday.
yo
Tú apuñababas el muñeco de trapo sin parar.
You were stabbing the rag doll non-stop.
tú
Él apuñababa la pared con un cuchillo de plástico.
He was stabbing the wall with a plastic knife.
él/ella/usted
Ellos apuñababan los sacos de arena en el gimnasio.
They used to stab the sandbags in the gym.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite for ongoing or habitual past actions.
Correct: For actions that happened repeatedly or over a period in the past, use the imperfect: 'Apuñalaba...' not 'Apuñaló...'.
Why: The imperfect describes the background or duration of past actions, not completed events.
Mistake: Confusing 'apuñabamos' (imperfect) with 'apuñalamos' (preterite/present).
Correct: Pay attention to the '-ba-' stem in the imperfect: 'apuñalá-ba-mos'.
Why: The spelling difference is subtle but crucial for distinguishing ongoing past actions from completed ones or present actions.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: apuñalo
The present tense of apuñalar describes habitual actions or things happening now: apuñalo, apuñalas, apuñala, apuñalamos, apuñaláis, apuñalan.
Preterite
yo: apuñalé
The preterite of apuñalar is regular: apuñalé, apuñalaste, apuñaló, apuñalamos, apuñalasteis, apuñalaron.
Future
yo: apuñalaré
The future tense of apuñalar indicates future actions: apuñalaré, apuñalarás, apuñalará, apuñalaremos, apuñaréis, apuñalarán.
Conditional
yo: apuñalaría
The conditional of apuñalar expresses hypotheticals ('would stab'): apuñalaría, apuñalarías, apuñalaría, apuñalaríamos, apuñalaríais, apuñalarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: apuñale
Present subjunctive for apuñalar expresses wishes, doubts, or emotions: apuñale (yo/él/ella/usted), apuñales (tú), apuñalemos (nosotros), apuñalen (ellos/ellas/ustedes).
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: apuñalara
The imperfect subjunctive of apuñalar expresses past hypotheticals or wishes: apuñalara, apuñalaras, apuñaláramos, apuñalaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: apuñala
Commands in the imperative for apuñalar: apuñala (tú), apuñale (usted), apuñalemos (nosotros), apuñalen (ustedes), apuñala (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no apuñales
Negative commands for apuñalar use the present subjunctive: no apuñales (tú), no apuñale (usted), no apuñalemos (nosotros), no apuñalen (ustedes), no apuñales (vosotros).