bastar Imperfect Conjugation
bastar — to be enough
The imperfect of bastar follows the regular -aba pattern: bastaba, bastabas, bastaba, bastábamos, bastabais, bastaban.
bastar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe a situation in the past where something used to be enough habitually, or to describe ongoing sufficiency in the background of a story.
Notes on bastar in the Imperfect
Bastar is regular in the imperfect. Note the accent on the 'a' in the nosotros form (bastábamos).
Example Sentences
Antes, una peseta bastaba para comprar dulces.
Before, one peseta was enough to buy sweets.
él/ella/usted
Sentíamos que nuestras palabras no bastaban.
We felt that our words weren't enough.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
En aquel entonces, nos bastábamos con poco.
Back then, we were sufficient with very little.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Omitting the accent in bastábamos.
Correct: bastábamos
Why: All -ar verbs in the imperfect indicative require an accent on the first 'a' of the nosotros ending.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: basto
Bastar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense: basto, bastas, basta, bastamos, bastáis, bastan.
Preterite
yo: basté
The preterite of bastar is regular: basté, bastaste, bastó, bastamos, bastasteis, bastaron.
Future
yo: bastaré
The future of bastar is formed by adding endings to the infinitive: bastaré, bastarás, bastará, bastaremos, bastaréis, bastarán.
Conditional
yo: bastaría
The conditional of bastar is regular: bastaría, bastarías, bastaría, bastaríamos, bastaríais, bastarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: baste
The present subjunctive of bastar changes the 'a' to 'e': baste, bastes, baste, bastemos, bastéis, basten.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: bastara
The imperfect subjunctive of bastar is regular: bastara, bastaras, bastara, bastáramos, bastarais, bastaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: basta
The imperative of bastar is used to command sufficiency: basta, baste, bastemos, bastad, basten.
Negative Imperative
yo: no bastes
The negative imperative of bastar uses present subjunctive forms: no bastes, no baste, no bastemos, no bastéis, no basten.