
desgarrar Imperfect Conjugation
desgarrar — to tear
The imperfect of desgarrar is regular: desgarraba, desgarrabas, desgarraba, desgarrábamos, desgarrabais, desgarraban.
desgarrar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect for ongoing actions in the past, habitual actions in the past, or to describe background settings. For example, 'The wind was tearing the leaves off the trees' or 'He used to tear pages from his notebook.'
Notes on desgarrar in the Imperfect
Desgarrar is a regular -ar verb, so its imperfect conjugations are formed by adding the standard '-aba' endings to the stem 'desgarr-'.
Example Sentences
Cuando era niño, desgarraba las páginas de los libros.
When I was a child, I used to tear pages from books.
yo
El papel se desgarraba con solo tocarlo.
The paper would tear with just a touch.
él/ella/usted
Mientras estábamos allí, el viento desgarraba las velas del barco.
While we were there, the wind was tearing the boat's sails.
él/ella/usted
Ellos desgarraban sus viejos diarios.
They were tearing up their old diaries.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a specific, completed action.
Correct: Use the preterite 'desgarró' for a single completed event.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or repeated past actions, not single, finished ones.
Mistake: Confusing 'desgarraba' (yo/él/ella/usted) with other forms.
Correct: Ensure correct endings: 'desgarraba' for yo/él/ella/usted, 'desgarrabas' for tú, 'desgarrábamos' for nosotros, etc.
Why: The imperfect has distinct endings for each pronoun.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'desgarrar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: desgarro
The present tense desgarrar is regular: desgarro, desgarras, desgarra, desgarras, desgarran.
Preterite
yo: desgarré
The preterite of desgarrar is regular: desgarré, desgarraste, desgarró, desgarró, desgarraron.
Future
yo: desgarraré
The future tense of desgarrar is regular: desgarraré, desgarrarás, desgarrará, desgarrarás, desgarrarán.
Conditional
yo: desgarraría
The conditional of desgarrar is regular: desgarraría, desgarrarías, desgarraría, desgarraríamos, desgarraríais, desgarrarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: desgarre
The present subjunctive desgarre, desgarres, desgarremos, desgarren is used for wishes, doubts, emotions, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: desgarrara
Use the imperfect subjunctive desgarrara or desgarrase for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: desgarra
Use the imperative forms desgarra, desgarre, desgarrad, desgarremos, desgarren for direct commands with desgarrar.
Negative Imperative
yo: no desgarres
Use no + present subjunctive forms like no desgarres, no desgarre, no desgarréis, no desgarremos, no desgarren to forbid actions.