defraudar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
defraudar — to disappoint
The imperfect subjunctive of defraudar (defraudara/defraudase) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or uncertainty.
defraudar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
This tense is perfect for talking about hypothetical situations in the past, expressing wishes or doubts about past events, or in polite requests. For 'defraudar,' you might say 'I would have been sad if you had disappointed me' or 'If I had known you would be disappointed, I would have acted differently.'
Notes on defraudar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Defraudar is regular in the imperfect subjunctive. Both the -ra and -se endings are correct, though the -ra form (defraudara) is more common in many regions.
Example Sentences
Si me hubieras avisado, no te hubiera defraudado.
If you had warned me, I wouldn't have disappointed you.
yo
Ojalá no nos defraudara el nuevo sistema.
Hopefully, the new system won't disappoint us.
él/ella/usted
Dudaba que él nos defraudara en la presentación.
I doubted that he would disappoint us in the presentation.
él/ella/usted
Me habría molestado si nos defraudaran.
It would have bothered me if they had disappointed us.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect subjunctive for past hypotheticals.
Correct: Use 'defraudara' or 'defraudase' for hypothetical past situations, not 'defraudó'.
Why: The imperfect subjunctive is specifically designed for these types of uncertain or hypothetical past scenarios.
Mistake: Confusing the -ra and -se forms.
Correct: Both 'defraudara' and 'defraudase' are correct, but 'defraudara' is generally more common.
Why: Spanish has two sets of endings for the imperfect subjunctive; they are interchangeable in most contexts.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'defraudar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: defraudo
The present indicative of defraudar (defraudo, defraudas, etc.) means to disappoint habitually or currently.
Preterite
yo: defraudé
Defraudar is regular in the preterite: defraudé, defraudaste, defraudó, defraudamos, defraudasteis, defraudaron.
Imperfect
yo: defraudaba
The imperfect of defraudar (defraudaba, defraudabas, etc.) describes past disappointment as ongoing or habitual.
Future
yo: defraudaré
The future of defraudar (defraudaré, etc.) indicates a future disappointment or probability.
Conditional
yo: defraudaría
The conditional of defraudar (defraudaría, etc.) is used for hypotheticals ('would disappoint') and polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: defraude
The present subjunctive of defraudar (defraude, defraudes, etc.) is used for wishes, doubts, and emotions.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: defrauda
The imperative of defraudar has regular commands for tú (defrauda) and vosotros (defraudad), and uses present subjunctive for others.
Negative Imperative
yo: no defraudes
Negative commands for defraudar use the present subjunctive, like 'no defraudes' (tú) and 'no defrauden' (ustedes).