contribuir Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
contribuir — to contribute
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'y' from the preterite: contribuyera, contribuyeras, contribuyera...
contribuir Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
Use this for 'if' clauses (hypotheticals) or when the main verb is in the past and expresses a wish or doubt.
Notes on contribuir in the Imperfect Subjunctive
This tense is always based on the third-person plural of the preterite (contribuyeron). Drop the -ron and add the -ra endings.
Example Sentences
Si yo contribuyera más, terminaríamos antes.
If I contributed more, we would finish sooner.
yo
Me gustaría que ellos contribuyeran más.
I would like them to contribute more.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Si nosotros contribuyéramos, el parque sería mejor.
If we contributed, the park would be better.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the nosotros form: 'contribuyeramos'.
Correct: contribuyéramos
Why: The 'nosotros' form of the imperfect subjunctive always requires an accent mark on the vowel before the -ramos ending.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'contribuir' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: contribuyo
The present tense of contribuir adds a 'y' before endings: contribuyo, contribuyes, contribuye, contribuyen.
Preterite
yo: contribuí
In the preterite, contribuir changes 'i' to 'y' in the third-person forms: contribuyó and contribuyeron.
Imperfect
yo: contribuía
The imperfect of contribuir is regular: contribuía, contribuías, contribuía, contribuíamos, contribuíais, contribuían.
Future
yo: contribuiré
The future tense of contribuir is regular: añadir the endings to the infinitive (contribuiré, contribuirás, etc.).
Conditional
yo: contribuiría
The conditional of contribuir is regular: añadir the endings -ía to the infinitive (contribuiría).
Present Subjunctive
yo: contribuya
The present subjunctive uses the 'y' stem from the 'yo' form: contribuya, contribuyas, contribuya...
Affirmative Imperative
yo: contribuye
Use 'contribuye' (tú) or 'contribuya' (usted) to tell someone to help out.
Negative Imperative
yo: no contribuyas
All negative commands for contribuir use the 'y' stem: no contribuyas, no contribuya, no contribuyamos.