centrar Imperfect Conjugation
centrar — to center
The imperfect of centrar uses the standard -aba endings: centraba, centrabas, centraba, centrábamos, centrabais, centraban.
centrar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe a past state where someone was habitually focused on something, or to describe the background action of centering something when another event occurred.
Notes on centrar in the Imperfect
Centrar is regular in the imperfect. Note the accent on the first 'a' in the nosotros form: centrábamos.
Example Sentences
De niño, yo centraba toda mi energía en el fútbol.
As a child, I used to focus all my energy on soccer.
yo
Mientras él centraba el espejo, yo lo sostenía.
While he was centering the mirror, I was holding it.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros centrábamos los temas antes de cada reunión.
We used to center the topics before every meeting.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on centrábamos.
Correct: centrábamos
Why: All -ar verbs in the imperfect indicative require an accent on the 'a' for the nosotros form.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: centro
The present of centrar is regular: centro, centras, centra, centramos, centráis, centran.
Preterite
yo: centré
The preterite of centrar is regular: centré, centraste, centró, centramos, centrasteis, centraron.
Future
yo: centraré
The future of centrar is formed by adding endings to the infinitive: centraré, centrarás, centrará, centraremos, centraréis, centrarán.
Conditional
yo: centraría
The conditional of centrar is regular: centraría, centrarías, centraría, centraríamos, centraríais, centrarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: centre
The present subjunctive of centrar changes the 'a' to 'e': centre, centres, centre, centremos, centréis, centren.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: centrara
The imperfect subjunctive of centrar is centrara, centraras, centrara, centráramos, centrarais, centraran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: centra
The affirmative imperative of centrar gives direct commands: centra, centre, centremos, centrad, centren.
Negative Imperative
yo: no centres
The negative imperative of centrar uses 'no' plus the present subjunctive: no centres, no centre, no centremos, no centréis, no centren.