atender Imperfect Conjugation
atender — to serve
The imperfect of 'atender' (atendía, atendías, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
atender Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense for actions that were happening continuously in the past, habitual actions in the past ('I used to serve'), or to set the scene or provide background description. It contrasts with the preterite, which marks completed actions.
Notes on atender in the Imperfect
'Atender' is regular in the imperfect indicative. All forms follow the standard pattern for -er verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo atendía a los clientes todo el día.
I used to attend to the clients all day.
yo
¿Tú atendías la caja registradora en esa tienda?
Did you work the cash register at that store?
tú
Él atendía las llamadas mientras la jefa estaba fuera.
He was answering the calls while the boss was away.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros atendíamos a los turistas en la oficina.
We used to assist the tourists at the office.
nosotros
Ellos atendían el negocio familiar.
They ran the family business.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single, completed past action.
Correct: Use 'atendí' (preterite) for 'I served once', not 'atendía' (imperfect).
Why: The imperfect describes duration or habit, while the preterite describes a specific, finished event.
Mistake: Confusing 'atendía' (I/he/she/you formal was attending) with 'atendían' (they/you all were attending).
Correct: Ensure the verb ending matches the subject: 'yo atendía', 'ellos atendían'.
Why: Similar to the present tense, distinguishing between singular and plural third-person forms is important.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: atiendo
The present indicative of 'atender' (atiendo, atiendes, atiende, etc.) is for actions happening now or habitually.
Preterite
yo: atendí
The preterite of 'atender' (atendí, atendiste, atendió, etc.) is for completed past actions.
Future
yo: atenderé
The future tense of 'atender' (atenderé, atenderás, etc.) indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: atendería
The conditional of 'atender' (atendería, atenderías, etc.) expresses hypothetical outcomes or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: atienda
The present subjunctive of 'atender' (atienda, atendamos, etc.) follows expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: atendiera
The imperfect subjunctive of 'atender' (atendiera/atendiese) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: atiende
Use 'atiende', 'atienda', 'atendamos', 'atended', 'atiendan' for direct commands with 'atender'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no atiendas
Use 'no atiendas', 'no atienda', 'no atendamos', 'no atendáis', 'no atiendan' for negative commands.