debutar Imperfect Conjugation
debutar — to debut
The imperfect of debutar (debutaba, debutabas, etc.) describes past ongoing or habitual debuts.
debutar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense to describe a past situation where someone was in the process of debuting, or to talk about habitual debuts in the past. It sets the background scene.
Notes on debutar in the Imperfect
Debutar is regular in the imperfect tense. It follows the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Cuando yo debutaba, el público aplaudía mucho.
When I was debuting, the audience applauded a lot.
yo
Ella debutaba en cada obra de teatro escolar.
She used to debut in every school play.
él/ella/usted
Debutábamos en un pequeño club cada fin de semana.
We used to debut at a small club every weekend.
nosotros
Ellos debutaban por primera vez en la televisión nacional.
They were debuting for the first time on national television.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect for ongoing or habitual past actions.
Correct: Use the imperfect: 'Ella debutaba en la compañía' (she used to debut / was debuting).
Why: The imperfect describes continuous or repeated actions in the past, not completed ones.
Mistake: Confusing the 'yo' and 'él/ella/usted' forms, both ending in '-aba'.
Correct: Ensure context makes clear who is debuting: 'Yo debutaba...' vs. 'Ella debutaba...'.
Why: These forms are identical, so context is key.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: debuto
The present tense of debutar (debuto, debutas, etc.) means to debut now or habitually.
Preterite
yo: debuté
The preterite of debutar is regular: debuté, debutaste, debutó, debutamos, debutasteis, debutaron.
Future
yo: debutaré
The future tense of debutar (debutaré, debutarás, etc.) indicates when someone will debut.
Conditional
yo: debutaría
The conditional of debutar (debutaría, debutarías, etc.) suggests a hypothetical debut or polite request.
Present Subjunctive
yo: debute
The present subjunctive of debutar (debute, debutes, etc.) is used after expressions of desire, doubt, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: debutara
The imperfect subjunctive of debutar (debutara, debutaras, etc.) expresses past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: debuta
The imperative of debutar is mostly regular, with commands like '¡Debuta!' (tú) and '¡Debutad!' (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no debutes
Negative commands for debutar use the present subjunctive with 'no', like 'no debutes' (tú) and 'no debutéis' (vosotros).