carecer Imperfect Conjugation
carecer — to lack
The imperfect of carecer is regular: carecía, carecías, carecía, carecíamos, carecíais, carecían.
carecer Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe a persistent state of lacking something in the past or to set the background for a story.
Notes on carecer in the Imperfect
This tense is regular. All -er verbs in the imperfect use the -ía endings with an accent on the 'i'.
Example Sentences
De niño, mi familia carecía de lujos.
As a child, my family lacked luxuries.
él/ella/usted
Carecíamos de información en aquel entonces.
We lacked information back then.
nosotros
Las casas carecían de calefacción.
The houses lacked heating.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Omitting the accent mark (carecia).
Correct: The correct form is 'carecía'.
Why: The accent on the 'i' is mandatory for all persons in the imperfect of -er and -ir verbs.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: carezco
The present of carecer is irregular in the 'yo' form (carezco), but regular elsewhere.
Preterite
yo: carecí
Future
yo: careceré
The future of carecer is regular: careceré, carecerás, carecerá, careceremos, careceréis, carecerán.
Conditional
yo: carecería
The conditional of carecer is regular: carecería, carecerías, carecería, careceríamos, careceríais, carecerían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: carezca
The present subjunctive of carecer uses the 'carezc-' stem for all forms: carezca, carezcas, carezca, etc.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: careciera
The imperfect subjunctive of carecer uses the 'carecie-' stem: careciera, carecieras, careciera, etc.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: carece
The imperative of carecer uses 'carece' (tú) and 'carezca' (usted/ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no carezcas
The negative imperative of carecer always uses the 'carezc-' stem: no carezcas, no carezca, etc.