arrancar Imperfect Conjugation
arrancar — to start
The imperfect of arrancar is regular: arrancaba, arrancabas, arrancaba, arrancábamos, arrancabais, arrancaban.
arrancar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use this for ongoing past actions or habits, like a car that used to start perfectly or a recurring event that was just beginning.
Notes on arrancar in the Imperfect
Arrancar follows the standard -aba pattern for -ar verbs in the imperfect. No spelling changes are needed.
Example Sentences
Antes, el coche arrancaba sin problemas.
Before, the car used to start without problems.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros arrancábamos las hojas del calendario.
We used to tear the pages off the calendar.
nosotros
Mientras yo arrancaba el coche, tú cerrabas la puerta.
While I was starting the car, you were closing the door.
yo
Common Mistakes
Mistake: arrancabamos
Correct: arrancábamos
Why: The 'nosotros' form of the imperfect always requires an accent on the first 'a' of the ending.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: arranco
The present tense of arrancar is completely regular: arranco, arrancas, arranca, arrancamos, arrancáis, arrancan.
Preterite
yo: arranqué
The preterite of arrancar has a spelling change in the 'yo' form (arranqué), but is otherwise regular.
Future
yo: arrancaré
The future tense of arrancar is regular: arrancaré, arrancarás, arrancará, arrancaremos, arrancaréis, arrancarán.
Conditional
yo: arrancaría
The conditional of arrancar is regular: arrancaría, arrancarías, arrancaría, arrancaríamos, arrancaríais, arrancarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: arranque
The present subjunctive of arrancar undergoes a spelling change: arranque, arranques, arranque, arranquemos, arranquéis, arranquen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: arrancara
The imperfect subjunctive of arrancar is regular (arrancara) and uses the -ra or -se endings.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: arranca
The imperative of arrancar gives direct commands: arranca (tú), arranque (usted), arranquen (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no arranques
The negative imperative of arrancar uses the 'qu' spelling change: no arranques, no arranque, no arranquemos, no arranquéis, no arranquen.