determinar Imperfect Conjugation
determinar — to decide
The imperfect of determinar, like 'determinaba' or 'determinaban', describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
determinar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense for describing habitual actions in the past, ongoing actions that were interrupted, setting the scene, or describing people and things in the past. For 'determinar', it's about the process or habit of deciding.
Notes on determinar in the Imperfect
Determinar is regular in the imperfect tense. The stem is 'determin-' and the standard -ar imperfect endings ('-aba', '-abas', '-aba', '-ábamos', '-abais', '-aban') are added.
Example Sentences
Yo determinaba las reglas cuando era joven.
I used to determine the rules when I was young.
yo
¿Tú determinabas el plan cada mes?
Did you used to determine the plan every month?
tú
Él determinaba el precio antes de la oferta.
He was determining the price before the offer.
él/ella/usted
Ellos determinaban el ganador por sorteo.
They used to determine the winner by drawing lots.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect.
Correct: For past habits or ongoing descriptions, use 'determinaba' or 'determinaban'.
Why: The preterite is for completed actions, while the imperfect is for continuous or habitual past actions and descriptions.
Mistake: Forgetting the 'b' in the imperfect endings.
Correct: The imperfect endings for -ar verbs are '-aba', '-abas', '-aba', '-ábamos', '-abais', '-aban', not '-ia', '-ias', etc.
Why: This is a common confusion between -ar and -er/-ir verb conjugations in the imperfect.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: determino
The present indicative of determinar, like 'determino' or 'determinan', describes current or habitual actions.
Preterite
yo: determiné
The preterite of determinar is regular: determiné, determinaste, determinó, determinamos, determinasteis, determinaron.
Future
yo: determinaré
The future tense of determinar, like 'determinaré' or 'determinarán', indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: determinaría
The conditional of determinar, like 'determinaría' or 'determinarían', expresses hypotheticals ('would decide').
Present Subjunctive
yo: determine
The present subjunctive of determinar, like 'determine' or 'determinen', follows expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: determinara
The imperfect subjunctive of determinar, like 'determinara' or 'determinase', is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: determina
The imperative of determinar is mostly regular, with 'determina' for tú and 'determinad' for vosotros.
Negative Imperative
yo: no determines
Negative commands for determinar use the present subjunctive with 'no', like 'no determines' or 'no determinen'.