desconocer Imperfect Conjugation
desconocer — to not know
Desconocer is regular in the imperfect: desconocía, desconocías, desconocía...
desconocer Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe an ongoing state of not knowing something in the past or to set the background for a story.
Notes on desconocer in the Imperfect
Desconocer is completely regular in the imperfect. All forms use the -ía endings characteristic of -er verbs.
Example Sentences
En esa época, yo desconocía que ella era famosa.
At that time, I didn't know that she was famous.
yo
Ustedes desconocían los riesgos del proyecto.
You all were unaware of the risks of the project.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Nosotros desconocíamos la dirección exacta.
We didn't know the exact address.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing the 'yo' and 'él' forms.
Correct: Both are 'desconocía'; context is key.
Why: In the imperfect for -er/-ir verbs, the first and third person singular forms are identical.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: desconozco
Desconocer is irregular only in the 'yo' form (desconozco), otherwise it follows regular -er patterns.
Preterite
yo: desconocí
Desconocer is regular in the preterite: desconocí, desconociste, desconoció, etc.
Future
yo: desconoceré
The future of desconocer is regular: desconoceré, desconocerás, desconocerá...
Conditional
yo: desconocería
The conditional of desconocer is regular: desconocería, desconocerías, desconocería...
Present Subjunctive
yo: desconozca
The present subjunctive uses the 'desconozc-' stem for all forms.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: desconociera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'desconocier-' stem: desconociera, desconocieras...
Affirmative Imperative
yo: desconoce
The imperative uses 'desconoce' (tú) and 'desconozca' (usted).
Negative Imperative
yo: no desconozcas
The negative imperative uses the 'zc' stem: no desconozcas, no desconozca...