besar Imperfect Conjugation
besar — to kiss
The imperfect of besar (besaba, besabas...) describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
besar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense for actions that were happening continuously in the past, or were repeated habitually. It sets the scene or describes background actions. For 'besar', it's 'used to kiss' or 'was kissing'. Example: 'Cuando era niño, besaba a mi abuela todos los domingos' (When I was a child, I used to kiss my grandma every Sunday).
Notes on besar in the Imperfect
Besar is regular in the imperfect indicative. All forms follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo besaba a mi muñeca antes de dormir.
I used to kiss my doll before sleeping.
yo
Tú siempre me besabas la frente.
You always used to kiss my forehead.
tú
Ella besaba la mano de su padre al despedirse.
She kissed her father's hand when saying goodbye.
él/ella/usted
Ellos se besaban apasionadamente.
They were kissing passionately.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single, completed past action.
Correct: For a single completed action, use the preterite: 'Ayer besé a mi amigo' (I kissed my friend yesterday), not 'Ayer besaba'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual actions, while the preterite describes completed ones.
Mistake: Confusing 'besaba' with 'besé'.
Correct: Remember 'besaba' (imperfect) is for ongoing/habitual past, while 'besé' (preterite) is for a completed action.
Why: These tenses describe different aspects of past events, and mixing them changes the meaning.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: beso
The present tense of besar (beso, besas...) describes current actions or habits.
Preterite
yo: besé
The preterite of besar (besé, besaste...) marks completed actions in the past.
Future
yo: besaré
The future tense of besar (besaré, besarás...) talks about actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: besaría
The conditional of besar (besaría, besarías...) expresses 'would kiss' or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: bese
Use present subjunctive (bese, beses, etc.) after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: besara
Use the imperfect subjunctive (besara/besase) for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: besa
Use the imperative of besar for direct commands like 'Besa tú!' or '¡Besemos!'
Negative Imperative
yo: no beses
Negative commands use the present subjunctive: 'No beses' (Don't kiss).