conspirar Imperfect Conjugation
conspirar — to conspire
The imperfect of conspirar (conspiraba, conspirabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past conspiracies.
conspirar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense for ongoing actions in the past, habitual actions, or background descriptions. For 'conspirar', it paints a picture of a conspiracy that was in progress or happened repeatedly.
Notes on conspirar in the Imperfect
Conspirar is regular in the imperfect tense, following the standard -ar verb pattern.
Example Sentences
Ellos conspiraban contra el rey cuando fueron descubiertos.
They were conspiring against the king when they were discovered.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Yo conspiraba en secreto cada vez que nos reuníamos.
I used to conspire in secret every time we met.
yo
¿Conspirabas tú para ganar el favor del jefe?
Were you plotting to gain the boss's favor?
tú
El grupo conspiraba durante horas.
The group was conspiring for hours.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single, completed act of conspiracy.
Correct: For a finished action, use the preterite: 'Conspiraron para el golpe', not 'Conspiraban para el golpe'.
Why: The imperfect describes duration or repetition, not a single completed event.
Mistake: Confusing the imperfect 'conspiraba' (yo) with the imperfect 'conspiraba' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: The form is the same, so context or subject pronouns ('yo', 'él', 'ella', 'usted') are needed to clarify who is conspiring.
Why: This is a common feature of imperfect conjugations for -ar verbs.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: conspiro
The present tense of conspirar (conspiro, conspiras, conspira, etc.) describes current or habitual plotting.
Preterite
yo: conspiré
The preterite of conspirar is regular: conspiré, conspiraste, conspiró, conspiramos, conspirasteis, conspiraron.
Future
yo: conspiraré
The future tense of conspirar (conspiraré, conspirarás, etc.) refers to future plotting or expresses probability.
Conditional
yo: conspiraría
The conditional of conspirar (conspiraría, conspirarías, etc.) is for hypotheticals ('would conspire') and polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: conspire
The present subjunctive of conspirar (conspire, conspires, conspiren) follows verbs of wishing, doubting, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: conspirara
The imperfect subjunctive of conspirar (conspirara, conspiraras, etc.) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, and polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: conspira
Use the imperative of conspirar for direct commands like 'conspira' (you) or 'conspiren' (they/you all).
Negative Imperative
yo: no conspires
Form negative commands with 'no' + present subjunctive, like 'no conspires' (you) or 'no conspiren' (they/you all).