desmentir Imperfect Conjugation
desmentir — to deny
Desmentir is completely regular in the imperfect: desmentía, desmentías, desmentía...
desmentir Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe an ongoing state of denial in the past or a repeated action of refuting claims.
Notes on desmentir in the Imperfect
This tense is entirely regular for desmentir. No stem changes occur here.
Example Sentences
Él siempre desmentía cualquier error que cometía.
He always used to deny any mistake he made.
él/ella/usted
Mientras la prensa atacaba, nosotros desmentíamos los datos.
While the press attacked, we were refuting the data.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Adding a stem change like 'desmientía'.
Correct: The correct form is desmentía.
Why: There are no stem changes in the imperfect indicative for -ir verbs.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'desmentir' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: desmiento
Desmentir follows the e > ie stem change in the 'boot' forms: desmiento, desmientes, desmiente, and desmienten.
Preterite
yo: desmentí
Desmentir has a third-person stem change (e > i): desmintió and desmintieron.
Future
yo: desmentiré
Desmentir is regular in the future; just add endings to the infinitive: desmentiré, desmentirás.
Conditional
yo: desmentiría
The conditional is regular: desmentiría, desmentirías, desmentiría...
Present Subjunctive
yo: desmienta
Desmentir changes e > ie in most forms, but e > i in nosotros/vosotros: desmienta, desmintamos.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: desmintiera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'desminti-' stem: desmintiera, desmintieras...
Affirmative Imperative
yo: desmiente
Give commands to deny something: desmiente (tú), desmienta (usted).
Negative Imperative
yo: no desmientas
Negative commands use the present subjunctive: no desmientas, no desmienta.