arribar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
arribar — to arrive
Arribara, arribaras, arribara, arribáramos, arribarais, arribaran are the imperfect subjunctive forms of arribar.
arribar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive of arribar is used for hypothetical situations, polite requests in the past, or to express wishes and doubts about past events.
Notes on arribar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Arribar is a regular -ar verb, so its imperfect subjunctive forms are regular. You can use either the -ra or -se ending (e.g., arribara or arribase), but the -ra form is more common.
Example Sentences
Si arribara a tiempo, habríamos ido al cine.
If he arrived on time, we would have gone to the cinema.
él/ella/usted
Me gustaría que arribaras pronto.
I would like you to arrive soon.
tú
Esperábamos que arribaran antes del amanecer.
We hoped they would arrive before dawn.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Ojalá arribáramos a puerto seguro.
Hopefully, we would arrive at a safe harbor.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect subjunctive in 'if' clauses.
Correct: Use the imperfect subjunctive: 'Si arribara...' not 'Si arribó...'.
Why: Hypothetical or unreal conditions in the past require the imperfect subjunctive.
Mistake: Confusing the -ra and -se forms, or using the wrong one.
Correct: Both 'arribara' and 'arribase' are correct for 'I arrived' (subjunctive), but '-ra' is more common.
Why: While both endings are grammatically valid, learners often get confused about which to use or if they are interchangeable.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: arribo
Arribo, arribas, arriba, arribamos, arribáis, arriban are the present indicative forms of arribar.
Preterite
yo: arribé
The preterite of arribar is regular: arribé, arribaste, arribó, arribamos, arribasteis, arribaron.
Imperfect
yo: arribaba
Arribaba, arribabas, arribaba, arribábamos, arribabais, arribaban are the imperfect forms of arribar.
Future
yo: arribaré
Arribaré, arribarás, arribará, arribaremos, arribaréis, arribarán are the future indicative forms of arribar.
Conditional
yo: arribaría
Arribaría, arribarías, arribaría, arribaríamos, arribaríais, arribarían are the conditional forms of arribar.
Present Subjunctive
yo: arribe
Arribe, arribes, arribe, arribemos, arribéis, arriben are the present subjunctive forms of arribar.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: arriba
Arriba, arribe, arribemos, arribad, arriben are the imperative forms of arribar for commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no arribes
No arribes, no arribe, no arribemos, no arribéis, no arriben are the negative commands for arribar.