contrastar Imperfect Conjugation
contrastar — to contrast
The imperfect of 'contrastar' is regular: contrastaba, contrastabas, contrastaba, contrastábamos, contrastabais, contrastaban.
contrastar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, or to describe background settings and states. It paints a picture of 'what was happening' or 'what used to happen'.
Notes on contrastar in the Imperfect
Contrastar is regular in the imperfect tense.
Example Sentences
Cuando era joven, contrastaba mi ropa con la de mi hermana.
When I was young, I used to contrast my clothes with my sister's.
yo
Tú contrastabas las ideas con las de tu padre.
You used to contrast your ideas with your father's.
tú
Ella contrastaba los detalles mientras leía.
She was contrasting the details while she read.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros contrastábamos las dos versiones de la historia.
We were contrasting the two versions of the story.
nosotros
Ellos contrastaban sus métodos de trabajo.
They used to contrast their work methods.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of imperfect: 'Cuando era joven, contrasté...'
Correct: Cuando era joven, contrastaba mi ropa.
Why: The imperfect describes habitual or ongoing past actions ('used to contrast'), while the preterite describes completed actions.
Mistake: Incorrect ending for nosotros: 'contrastabamos'
Correct: contrastábamos
Why: The accent on the 'a' is required for the nosotros form.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: contrasto
The present tense of 'contrastar' is regular: contrasto, contrastas, contrasta, contrastamos, contrastáis, contrastan.
Preterite
yo: contrasté
The preterite of 'contrastar' is regular: contrasté, contrastaste, contrastó, contrastamos, contrastasteis, contrastaron.
Future
yo: contrastaré
The future tense of 'contrastar' is regular: contrastaré, contrastarás, contrastará, contrastaremos, contrastaréis, contrastarán.
Conditional
yo: contrastaría
The conditional of 'contrastar' is regular: contrastaría, contrastarías, contrastaría, contrastaríamos, contrastaríais, contrastarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: contraste
The present subjunctive of 'contrastar' is: contraste, contrastes, contraste, contrastemos, contrastéis, contrasten.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: contrastara
The imperfect subjunctive of 'contrastar' has -ra and -se forms, like contrastara/contrastase, contrastaras/contrastases, etc.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: contrasta
Imperative commands for 'contrastar' are: contrasta, no contrastes, contraste, no contraste, contrastemos, no contrastemos, contrastad, no contrastéis, contrasten, no contrasten.
Negative Imperative
yo: no contrastes
Negative commands for 'contrastar' use the present subjunctive: no contrastes, no contraste, no contrastemos, no contrastéis, no contrasten.