circular Imperfect Conjugation
circular — to circulate
The imperfect 'circulaba' describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
circular Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense for actions that were happening continuously in the past, or for habits in the past. Think of background descriptions: 'The blood was circulating,' or 'He used to circulate the news every week.'
Notes on circular in the Imperfect
'Circular' is regular in the imperfect tense. The forms are 'circulaba', 'circulabas', 'circulaba', 'circulábamos', 'circulabais', 'circulaban'.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, circulaba por el barrio en bicicleta.
When I was a child, I used to circulate around the neighborhood by bike.
yo
La noticia circulaba rápidamente en la oficina.
The news was circulating rapidly in the office.
él/ella/usted
¿Vosotros circulabais por el centro a menudo?
Did you (plural, informal) used to circulate downtown often?
vosotros
Los coches circulaban con precaución debido a la niebla.
The cars were circulating with caution due to the fog.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'circuló' instead of the imperfect 'circulaba' for an ongoing past action.
Correct: For something that was happening continuously, use the imperfect: 'El agua circulaba'.
Why: The imperfect describes the background or duration, while the preterite focuses on the completion of the action.
Mistake: Confusing the imperfect 'circulábamos' with the present 'circulamos'.
Correct: The imperfect form is 'circulábamos' with the accent on the 'a'.
Why: The '-ábamos' ending clearly marks the imperfect tense for the 'nosotros' form.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: circulo
The present tense 'circulo' describes actions happening now or habitual actions.
Preterite
yo: circulé
The preterite of circular is regular: circulé, circulaste, circuló, circulamos, circulasteis, circularon.
Future
yo: circularé
The future tense 'circularé' indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: circularía
The conditional 'circularía' expresses hypothetical outcomes or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: circule
The present subjunctive 'circule' is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: circulara
The imperfect subjunctive 'circulara' or 'circulara' is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: circula
Use imperative forms like 'circula' (tú) and 'circulen' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no circules
Negative commands like 'no circules' (tú) and 'no circulen' (ustedes) use the present subjunctive.