bailar Imperfect Conjugation
bailar — to dance
Bailar in the imperfect follows the regular -aba pattern: bailaba, bailabas, bailaba, bailábamos, bailabais, bailaban.
bailar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe how you used to dance regularly in the past or to set the scene (e.g., 'everyone was dancing when I arrived').
Notes on bailar in the Imperfect
Bailar is regular in the imperfect. Remember the accent on the nosotros form: bailábamos.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niña, bailaba ballet.
When I was a girl, I used to dance ballet.
yo
Ustedes bailaban mientras nosotros cantábamos.
You all were dancing while we were singing.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Nosotros siempre bailábamos en las bodas.
We always used to dance at weddings.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on bailábamos.
Correct: bailábamos
Why: All -ar verbs in the imperfect require an accent on the 'a' of the nosotros form.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: bailo
Bailar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense: bailo, bailas, baila, bailamos, bailáis, bailan.
Preterite
yo: bailé
The preterite of bailar is regular: bailé, bailaste, bailó, bailamos, bailasteis, bailaron.
Future
yo: bailaré
The future of bailar is formed by adding -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án to the infinitive.
Conditional
yo: bailaría
The conditional of bailar uses the infinitive plus -ía endings: bailaría, bailarías, bailaría, bailaríamos, bailaríais, bailarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: baile
The present subjunctive of bailar swaps the -a for -e: baile, bailes, baile, bailemos, bailéis, bailen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: bailara
The imperfect subjunctive of bailar is based on the 'ellos' preterite: bailara, bailaras, bailara, bailáramos, bailarais, bailaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: baila
The imperative of bailar gives commands: baila (tú), bailad (vosotros), and uses subjunctive for others.
Negative Imperative
yo: no bailes
The negative imperative of bailar uses the present subjunctive forms: no bailes, no baile, no bailemos, no bailéis, no bailen.