citar Imperfect Conjugation
citar — to make an appointment
The imperfect tense ('citaba', 'citabas') describes habitual or ongoing past actions, like frequently making appointments or background settings.
citar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect for actions that were happening regularly in the past, or to describe the background scene. If you used to make appointments often, or if something was in progress when another action occurred, use the imperfect.
Notes on citar in the Imperfect
'Citar' is regular in the imperfect indicative tense. The forms are: citaba, citabas, citaba, citábamos, citabais, citaban.
Example Sentences
Yo citaba a mis alumnos cada viernes para repasar.
I used to meet my students every Friday to review.
yo
¿Tú citabas a tus amigos en ese parque?
Did you used to meet your friends in that park?
tú
Él citaba a la gente para informarse.
He would summon people to get information.
él/ella/usted
Ellos citaban a los testigos cuando ocurrió el accidente.
They were summoning the witnesses when the accident happened.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'citó' instead of the imperfect 'citaba' for habitual past actions.
Correct: Use 'Yo citaba' for repeated actions, not 'Yo citó'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, whereas the preterite describes completed, single events.
Mistake: Confusing the 'yo' and 'él/ella/usted' forms.
Correct: Both 'citaba' are correct for 'yo' and 'él/ella/usted'. Context usually clarifies.
Why: These forms are identical, requiring context to differentiate the subject.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: cito
The present tense ('cito', 'citas', 'cita') is used for habitual actions like regularly making appointments or for general truths about meetings.
Preterite
yo: cité
The preterite of 'citar' ('cité', 'citaste', 'citó') is regular and used for completed actions like making or attending an appointment in the past.
Future
yo: citaré
The future tense ('citaré', 'citarás') is used to state with certainty that an appointment will be made or someone will be summoned.
Conditional
yo: citaría
The conditional ('citaría', 'citarías') is used for polite requests to make an appointment or for hypothetical situations.
Present Subjunctive
yo: cite
The present subjunctive ('cite', 'cites') is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion when talking about making appointments.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: citara
The imperfect subjunctive ('citara', 'citase') expresses hypothetical or unreal situations related to making appointments in the past.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: cita
Use imperative forms like 'cita' (you singular) and 'citen' (you plural) to give direct commands for making appointments.
Negative Imperative
yo: no cites
Use negative imperative forms like 'no cites' (you singular) and 'no citen' (you plural) to forbid making appointments.