contactar Imperfect Conjugation
contactar — to contact
Contactar is regular in the imperfect: contactaba, contactabas, contactaba, contactábamos, contactabais, contactaban.
contactar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe a past habit of reaching out to someone or to set the scene (e.g., 'I was trying to contact him when...'). It describes ongoing or repeated attempts in the past.
Notes on contactar in the Imperfect
This verb is regular in the imperfect. Remember to add the accent on the 'á' only for the 'nosotros' form: contactábamos.
Example Sentences
Antes, nosotros contactábamos con los clientes por carta.
Before, we used to contact clients by letter.
nosotros
Tú siempre contactabas con ella por las tardes.
You always used to contact her in the afternoons.
tú
Él contactaba con su familia cada domingo.
He used to contact his family every Sunday.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: contactaba (for nosotros)
Correct: contactábamos
Why: Forgetting the -mos ending and the mandatory accent for 'nosotros' in the imperfect.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: contacto
Contactar is regular in the present: contacto, contactas, contacta, contactamos, contactáis, contactan.
Preterite
yo: contacté
The preterite of contactar is regular: contacté, contactaste, contactó, contactamos, contactasteis, contactaron.
Future
yo: contactaré
The future of contactar is regular: contactaré, contactarás, contactará, contactaremos, contactaréis, contactarán.
Conditional
yo: contactaría
The conditional of contactar is regular: contactaría, contactarías, contactaría, contactaríamos, contactaríais, contactarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: contacte
The present subjunctive of contactar is regular: contacte, contactes, contacte, contactemos, contactéis, contacten.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: contactara
The imperfect subjunctive of contactar is regular: contactara, contactaras, contactara, contactáramos, contactarais, contactaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: contacta
The imperative of contactar gives commands: contacta (tú), contactad (vosotros), contacte (usted).
Negative Imperative
yo: no contactes
The negative imperative of contactar uses present subjunctive forms: no contactes, no contacte, no contactéis.