aumentar Imperfect Conjugation
aumentar — to increase
The imperfect of aumentar (aumentaba, aumentabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past actions or background.
aumentar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe past situations that were ongoing, habitual, or set the scene. For example, 'Cuando era niño, mi padre me aumentaba la paga cada año.' (When I was a child, my father increased my allowance every year.)
Notes on aumentar in the Imperfect
Aumentar is regular in the imperfect indicative. The stem remains 'aumenta-' and the standard imperfect endings for -ar verbs are used.
Example Sentences
Yo aumentaba el volumen cuando escuchaba esa canción.
I used to turn up the volume when I heard that song.
yo
¿Tú aumentabas la dosis de medicación?
Were you increasing the medication dose?
tú
El ruido aumentaba gradualmente.
The noise was gradually increasing.
él/ella/usted
Ellos siempre aumentaban las apuestas.
They always increased the stakes.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Nosotros aumentábamos la velocidad en las rectas.
We used to increase speed on the straightaways.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single completed action: 'Ayer aumentaba el precio'.
Correct: 'Ayer aumentó el precio'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual actions, not single, completed events in the past.
Mistake: Confusing 'aumentábamos' (imperfect) with 'aumentamos' (present/preterite).
Correct: Remember the '-aba-' stem for imperfect: 'Siempre aumentábamos' (imperfect) vs. 'Siempre aumentamos' (present).
Why: The imperfect stem '-aba-' clearly distinguishes it from the present/preterite forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: aumento
The present tense of aumentar (aumento, aumentas, aumenta, etc.) describes current actions, habits, or general truths.
Preterite
yo: aumenté
The preterite of aumentar (aumenté, aumentaste, etc.) marks completed actions in the past.
Future
yo: aumentaré
The future tense of aumentar (aumentaré, aumentarás, etc.) talks about actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: aumentaría
The conditional of aumentar (aumentaría, aumentarías, etc.) expresses 'would' actions, politeness, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: aumente
The present subjunctive of aumentar (aumente, aumentes, aumentemos, etc.) follows expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or necessity.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: aumentara
The imperfect subjunctive of aumentar (aumentara/aumentase) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: aumenta
Use the imperative of aumentar for direct commands: ¡aumenta!, ¡aumente!, ¡aumentemos!, ¡aumenten!, ¡aumentad!
Negative Imperative
yo: no aumentes
Negative commands for aumentar use the present subjunctive: no aumentes, no aumente, no aumentemos, no aumenten, no aumentéis.