arrestar Imperfect Conjugation
arrestar — to arrest
The imperfect of arrestar is regular: arrestaba, arrestabas, arrestaba, arrestábamos, arrestabais, arrestaban.
arrestar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use this tense to describe background situations in the past or habitual arrests that occurred over an indefinite period, like describing police patterns or historical eras.
Notes on arrestar in the Imperfect
Arrestar is fully regular in the imperfect. Remember that -ar verbs use the -aba ending in this tense.
Example Sentences
En esa época, la policía arrestaba a mucha gente sin pruebas.
In those days, the police used to arrest many people without evidence.
él/ella/usted
Mientras arrestaban al sospechoso, llegó la prensa.
While they were arresting the suspect, the press arrived.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Nosotros arrestábamos a los infractores cada fin de semana.
We used to arrest the offenders every weekend.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: arrestabamos
Correct: arrestábamos
Why: The 'nosotros' form of -ar verbs in the imperfect always requires an accent on the first 'a' of the ending.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: arresto
The present of arrestar is regular: arresto, arrestas, arresta, arrestamos, arrestáis, arrestan.
Preterite
yo: arresté
The preterite of arrestar is regular: arresté, arrestaste, arrestó, arrestamos, arrestasteis, arrestaron.
Future
yo: arrestaré
The future of arrestar is regular: arrestaré, arrestarás, arrestará, arrestaremos, arrestaréis, arrestarán.
Conditional
yo: arrestaría
The conditional of arrestar is regular: arrestaría, arrestarías, arrestaría, arrestaríamos, arrestaríais, arrestarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: arreste
The present subjunctive of arrestar is regular: arreste, arrestes, arreste, arrestemos, arrestéis, arresten.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: arrestara
The imperfect subjunctive of arrestar is regular: arrestara, arrestaras, arrestara, arrestáramos, arrestarais, arrestaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: arresta
The affirmative imperative of arrestar is: arresta (tú), arreste (usted), arrestad (vosotros), arresten (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no arrestes
The negative imperative of arrestar uses the present subjunctive: no arrestes, no arreste, no arrestemos, no arrestéis, no arresten.