descansar Imperfect Conjugation
descansar — to rest
The imperfect of descansar uses regular -aba endings: descansaba, descansabas, descansaba, descansábamos, descansabais, descansaban.
descansar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use this tense to describe how you used to rest (habitually) or to set the scene, like saying 'I was resting when the phone rang.'
Notes on descansar in the Imperfect
Descansar is regular in the imperfect. Remember the accent on the 'nosotros' form: descansábamos.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, descansaba después de la escuela.
When I was a child, I used to rest after school.
yo
Vosotros descansabais en la playa todos los veranos.
You all used to rest on the beach every summer.
vosotros
Ellos descansaban mientras yo cocinaba.
They were resting while I was cooking.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing the yo and él/ella forms because they are both 'descansaba'.
Correct: Use context or add the pronoun (yo/él) if it is unclear who is resting.
Why: Both the first and third person singular share the same form in the imperfect.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'descansar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: descanso
Descansar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense: descanso, descansas, descansa, descansamos, descansáis, descansan.
Preterite
yo: descansé
The preterite of descansar follows regular -ar endings: descansé, descansaste, descansó, descansamos, descansasteis, descansaron.
Future
yo: descansaré
To form the future of descansar, add endings to the infinitive: descansaré, descansarás, descansará, descansaremos, descansaréis, descansarán.
Conditional
yo: descansaría
The conditional of descansar is formed by adding -ía endings to the infinitive: descansaría, descansarías, descansaría, descansaríamos, descansaríais, descansarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: descanse
The present subjunctive of descansar uses -e endings: descanse, descanses, descanse, descansemos, descanséis, descansen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: descansara
The imperfect subjunctive of descansar is formed from the 'ellos' preterite stem: descansara, descansaras, descansara, descansáramos, descansarais, descansaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: descansa
The imperative of descansar gives commands: descansa (tú), descansad (vosotros), and uses subjunctive forms for others.
Negative Imperative
yo: no descanses
The negative imperative of descansar uses the present subjunctive forms: no descanses, no descanse, no descansemos, no descanséis, no descansen.