buscar Imperfect Conjugation
buscar — to look for
The imperfect of buscar is regular: buscaba, buscabas, buscaba, buscábamos, buscabais, buscaban.
buscar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use this for ongoing searches in the past ('I was looking for') or searches that happened habitually without a specific end.
Notes on buscar in the Imperfect
Buscar is regular in the imperfect. Remember that the 'nosotros' form always has an accent on the first 'a' of the ending: buscábamos.
Example Sentences
Yo buscaba mi perro cuando te vi.
I was looking for my dog when I saw you.
yo
Antes buscábamos setas en este bosque.
We used to look for mushrooms in this forest.
nosotros
Ustedes buscaban problemas.
You guys were looking for trouble.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: buscabamos
Correct: buscábamos
Why: All -ar imperfect 'nosotros' forms require an accent on the antepenultimate syllable.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: busco
The present tense of buscar is completely regular: busco, buscas, busca, buscamos, buscáis, buscan.
Preterite
yo: busqué
The preterite of buscar has a spelling change in the 'yo' form (busqué) to keep the 'k' sound.
Future
yo: buscaré
The future tense of buscar is regular: add the endings -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án to the infinitive.
Conditional
yo: buscaría
The conditional of buscar is regular: add -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían to the infinitive.
Present Subjunctive
yo: busque
The present subjunctive of buscar uses the 'qu' spelling change: busque, busques, busque, busquemos, busquéis, busquen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: buscara
The imperfect subjunctive of buscar is regular: buscara, buscaras, buscara, buscáramos, buscarais, buscaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: busca
The imperative of buscar uses 'busca' (tú) and 'busque' (usted).
Negative Imperative
yo: no busques
The negative imperative always uses the 'qu' spelling: no busques, no busque, no busquemos, no busquéis, no busquen.