despojar Imperfect Conjugation

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect of 'despojar' to describe actions in the past that were ongoing, habitual, or set the scene. For example, 'El río despojaba la tierra de su vegetación lentamente' (The river was stripping the land of its vegetation slowly) implies an ongoing process. Or, 'Cuando era joven, me despojaba de mis miedos' (When I was young, I used to shed my fears) describes a past habit.

Notes on despojar in the Imperfect

Despojar is a regular -ar verb and is regular in the imperfect indicative tense. All forms follow the standard conjugation pattern.

Example Sentences

• El ladrón despojaba a los turistas de sus cámaras.

  The thief used to strip tourists of their cameras.

  él/ella/usted

• Mientras caminábamos, el viento nos despojaba de nuestro calor.

  As we walked, the wind was stripping us of our warmth.

  él/ella/usted

• Antes, me despojaba de mi armadura al llegar a casa.

  Before, I used to take off my armor when I got home.

  yo

• Ellos se despojaban de sus capas en la entrada.

  They were taking off their cloaks at the entrance.

  ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect for a past description or habit.

  Correct: Say 'Me despojaba de mis juguetes' (I used to get rid of my toys) for a past habit, not 'Me despojé de mis juguetes'.

  Why: The imperfect describes ongoing background actions or repeated events, while the preterite refers to single, completed actions.

• Mistake: Forgetting the reflexive pronoun with 'despojarse' in the imperfect.

  Correct: Use 'nos despojábamos' not just 'despojábamos' when 'we' are the ones taking something off.

  Why: Just like in the present tense, when the subject acts upon itself, the reflexive pronoun must be included.

Related Tenses