capturar Imperfect Conjugation

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect tense for descriptions in the past, ongoing actions that were happening, or habitual actions in the past. It sets the scene or describes what used to happen regularly.

Notes on capturar in the Imperfect

Capturar is regular in the imperfect tense.

Example Sentences

• Cuando era niño, yo capturaba insectos en el jardín.

  When I was a child, I used to capture insects in the garden.

  yo

• Ella siempre capturaba los mejores momentos de nuestras vacaciones.

  She always captured the best moments of our vacations.

  él/ella/usted

• ¿Qué tú capturabas con esa cámara antigua?

  What were you capturing with that old camera?

  tú

• Nosotros capturábamos la luz del sol en nuestras pinturas.

  We used to capture the sunlight in our paintings.

  nosotros

• Ellos capturaban la atención de todos con sus historias.

  They used to capture everyone's attention with their stories.

  ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single, completed past action.

  Correct: For a specific, completed action, use the preterite (e.g., 'capturó').

  Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or repeated past actions, not a single finished event.

• Mistake: Confusing imperfect and preterite for 'nosotros'.

  Correct: Remember 'capturábamos' (imperfect - used to capture) vs. 'capturamos' (preterite - captured).

  Why: These forms are distinct and indicate different aspects of past actions.

Related Tenses