comandar Imperfect Conjugation
comandar — to lead
The imperfect (comanadaba, comandabas) describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
comandar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense to describe past situations where someone was leading, or leading was a habitual action. For example, 'Él comandaba el batallón cuando estalló la guerra' (He was commanding the battalion when the war broke out) or 'Ella siempre comandaba las reuniones' (She always led the meetings).
Notes on comandar in the Imperfect
Comandar is regular in the imperfect tense. All forms follow the standard -ar imperfect pattern: comandaba, comandabas, comandaba, comandábamos, comandabais, comandaban.
Example Sentences
Yo comandaba el equipo de voluntarios.
I used to lead the volunteer team.
yo
Tú comandabas la sección de arte en la escuela.
You used to lead the art section at school.
tú
El general comandaba las fuerzas.
The general was commanding the forces.
él/ella/usted
Ellos comandaban la empresa hace años.
They used to lead the company years ago.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'comandó' instead of the imperfect 'comandaba'.
Correct: Use 'comandaba' to describe the ongoing or habitual nature of leading in the past.
Why: The imperfect is used for background descriptions and continuous actions, whereas the preterite is for completed events.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the nosotros form.
Correct: The correct form is 'comandábamos'.
Why: The accent marks the stressed syllable in this imperfect form.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: comando
The present tense (comando, comanda, comandan) describes habitual actions or things happening now.
Preterite
yo: comandé
The preterite of comandar is regular: comandé, comandaste, comandó, comandamos, comandasteis, comandaron.
Future
yo: comandaré
The future tense (comanadará, comandarán) expresses certainty or probability about future leading actions.
Conditional
yo: comandaría
The conditional (comanadaría, comandarían) expresses hypothetical actions ('would') or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: comande
The present subjunctive (comande, comandes, etc.) follows expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: comandara
The imperfect subjunctive (comandara/comandase) is for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: comanda
Comanda (tú), comande (usted), comandemos (nosotros), comanden (ustedes), comandad (vosotros) are commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no comandes
Negative commands use 'no' + present subjunctive: no comandes (tú), no comande (usted), etc.