conquistar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
conquistar — to conquer
The imperfect subjunctive of conquistar (conquistara, conquistaras, etc.) expresses hypothetical or unreal past situations.
conquistar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
This tense is perfect for talking about past wishes, doubts, or hypothetical situations that didn't necessarily happen. For example, 'Si conquistara el mundo, sería un gran líder' (If I conquered the world, I would be a great leader).
Notes on conquistar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Conquistar is regular in the imperfect subjunctive. Both the -ra and -se forms exist, but -ra is more common.
Example Sentences
Si yo conquistara el poder, cambiaría todo.
If I conquered power, I would change everything.
yo
Me pidió que conquistara su amor.
He asked me to conquer his love.
él/ella/usted
Dudaba que conquistaran la ciudad.
I doubted they would conquer the city.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Te lo daría si lo conquistaras tú mismo.
I would give it to you if you conquered it yourself.
tú
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect subjunctive in 'if' clauses.
Correct: For hypothetical past conditions, use 'si conquistara' or 'si conquistase', not 'si conquistó'.
Why: The imperfect subjunctive sets up a hypothetical scenario in the past, while the preterite describes a completed past action.
Mistake: Confusing the -ra and -se endings.
Correct: Both 'conquistara' and 'conquistase' are correct imperfect subjunctive forms, but -ra is generally more common.
Why: Learners might only know one form or incorrectly mix them.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: conquisto
The present tense of 'conquistar' (conquisto, conquistas, etc.) describes current actions, habits, or general truths.
Preterite
yo: conquisté
The preterite of 'conquistar' (conquisté, conquistaste, etc.) describes completed actions in the past, like 'conquistó el imperio'.
Imperfect
yo: conquistaba
The imperfect of 'conquistar' (conquistaba, conquistabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past actions and background settings.
Future
yo: conquistaré
The future tense of 'conquistar' (conquistaré, conquistarás, etc.) talks about actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: conquistaría
The conditional of 'conquistar' (conquistaría, conquistarías, etc.) expresses hypothetical actions ('would conquer') or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: conquiste
The present subjunctive of 'conquistar' (conquiste, conquistes, etc.) is used for wishes, doubts, emotions, and after certain expressions.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: conquista
Conquer, let's conquer! Use imperative forms like 'conquista' (tú) and 'conquisten' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no conquistes
Don't conquer! Negative commands use the present subjunctive, like 'no conquistes' (tú) and 'no conquisten' (ustedes).