cosechar Imperfect Conjugation
cosechar — to harvest
Use imperfect for ongoing or habitual past harvests, like 'yo cosechaba' (I used to harvest) or 'ellos cosechaban' (they used to harvest).
cosechar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
The imperfect tense describes ongoing actions in the past, habitual actions, or sets the scene. For example, 'Cuando era niño, cosechaba manzanas con mi abuelo' (When I was a child, I used to harvest apples with my grandfather) or 'La cosecha se cosechaba lentamente' (The harvest was being gathered slowly).
Notes on cosechar in the Imperfect
Cosechar is regular in the imperfect indicative. The endings are standard for -ar verbs: -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -abais, -aban.
Example Sentences
Yo cosechaba maíz cuando vivía en el campo.
I used to harvest corn when I lived in the countryside.
yo
¿Tú cosechabas algodón?
Did you used to harvest cotton?
tú
Ella cosechaba flores para decorar la casa.
She used to harvest flowers to decorate the house.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros cosechábamos uvas cada otoño.
We harvested grapes every autumn.
nosotros
Ellos cosechaban trigo en esa época.
They used to harvest wheat back then.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single, completed harvest.
Correct: Use the preterite 'cosechó' for a specific finished harvest, not 'cosechaba'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual actions, not finished ones.
Mistake: Confusing the 'nosotros' form with the preterite.
Correct: The imperfect 'cosechábamos' is different from the preterite 'cosechamos'.
Why: The '-aba' ending clearly marks the imperfect tense for ongoing past actions.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: cosecho
Use the present tense for habitual harvests or things happening now, like 'cosecho' (I harvest) or 'cosechan' (they harvest).
Preterite
yo: coseché
Use preterite for completed harvests, like 'coseché' (I harvested) or 'cosecharon' (they harvested).
Future
yo: cosecharé
Use the future tense for harvests that will happen, like 'cosecharé' (I will harvest) or 'cosecharán' (they will harvest).
Conditional
yo: cosecharía
Use conditional for hypothetical harvests ('I would harvest') or polite requests, like 'cosecharía' or 'cosecharían'.
Present Subjunctive
yo: coseche
Use present subjunctive after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion, like 'Espero que coseches bien' (I hope you harvest well).
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: cosechara
Use imperfect subjunctive for past hypotheticals or wishes, like 'si cosechara' (if I were to harvest).
Affirmative Imperative
yo: cosecha
Use the imperative to give direct commands like 'cosecha' (harvest!) or 'cosechad' (harvest!).
Negative Imperative
yo: no coseches
Use negative commands like 'no coseches' (don't harvest) based on the present subjunctive.