descomponer Imperfect Conjugation
descomponer — to break down
The imperfect of descomponer is regular: descomponía, descomponías, descomponía.
descomponer Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use this for ongoing decomposition in the past, or to describe a machine that used to break down frequently.
Notes on descomponer in the Imperfect
Descomponer is regular in the imperfect. All -er verbs in this tense use the -ía endings with a mandatory accent on the 'í'.
Example Sentences
La máquina se descomponía cada dos por tres.
The machine used to break down every other minute.
él/ella/usted
En el laboratorio, observábamos cómo se descomponía la materia.
In the lab, we watched how the matter was decomposing.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'í' (descomponia).
Correct: Always write 'descomponía'.
Why: All imperfect endings for -er and -ir verbs require an accent on the 'i'.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: descompongo
The present of descomponer is irregular in the 'yo' form (descompongo), following the pattern of poner.
Preterite
yo: descompuse
The preterite of descomponer is highly irregular, using the 'pus-' stem: descompuse, descompusiste, descompuso.
Future
yo: descompondré
The future of descomponer uses the irregular stem 'descompondr-': descompondré, descompondrás.
Conditional
yo: descompondría
The conditional uses the irregular stem 'descompondr-': descompondría, descompondrías.
Present Subjunctive
yo: descomponga
The present subjunctive uses the 'descompong-' stem: descomponga, descompongas.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: descompusiera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'descompusie-' stem: descompusiera, descompusieras.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: descompón
The affirmative imperative has a short 'tú' form: descompón.
Negative Imperative
yo: no descompongas
The negative imperative uses the 'no' + present subjunctive: no descompongas.