desconfiar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
desconfiar — to distrust
The imperfect subjunctive of desconfiar is regular, built from the third-person plural preterite: desconfiara.
desconfiar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
Use this for hypothetical situations involving distrust in the past or present, especially after 'si' (if) or past-tense triggers of emotion and doubt.
Notes on desconfiar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
This tense is regular for desconfiar. Unlike the present tense, there is no special accent on the 'i' here because the stress naturally falls later in the word.
Example Sentences
Si yo desconfiara de ti, no te daría las llaves.
If I distrusted you, I wouldn't give you the keys.
yo
Me sorprendió que desconfiaran de nosotros.
It surprised me that they distrusted us.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Ojalá no desconfiáramos tanto de los extraños.
I wish we didn't distrust strangers so much.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Adding an accent to the 'i' like in the present tense (desconfíara).
Correct: desconfiara
Why: The accent change only happens in the present tenses; the imperfect subjunctive follows standard rules.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: desconfío
The present indicative of desconfiar requires an accent on the 'í' in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Preterite
yo: desconfié
The preterite of desconfiar is regular: desconfié, desconfiaste, desconfió, desconfiamos, desconfiasteis, desconfiaron.
Imperfect
yo: desconfiaba
The imperfect of desconfiar is regular: desconfiaba, desconfiabas, desconfiaba...
Future
yo: desconfiaré
The future tense of desconfiar is fully regular: desconfiaré, desconfiarás, desconfiará...
Conditional
yo: desconfiaría
The conditional of desconfiar is regular: desconfiaría, desconfiarías, desconfiaría...
Present Subjunctive
yo: desconfíe
The present subjunctive of desconfiar features an accent on the 'í' for all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: desconfía
The imperative of desconfiar uses the accent on the 'í' for singular and plural commands (except vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no desconfíes
The negative imperative of desconfiar follows the present subjunctive forms: no desconfíes, no desconfíe...