dificultar Imperfect Conjugation
dificultar — to make difficult
The imperfect of dificultar is regular: dificultaba, dificultabas, dificultaba, dificultábamos, dificultabais, dificultaban.
dificultar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect of 'dificultar' to describe ongoing situations in the past where something was making things difficult, or habitual actions of making things difficult. It sets the scene or describes background conditions.
Notes on dificultar in the Imperfect
Dificultar is a regular -ar verb and conjugates normally in the imperfect indicative tense.
Example Sentences
El mal tiempo dificultaba nuestro viaje cada día.
The bad weather made our trip difficult every day.
él/ella/usted
Cuando era niño, yo dificultaba las lecciones a propósito.
When I was a child, I used to make the lessons difficult on purpose.
yo
Ellos dificultaban la tarea sin que nadie se diera cuenta.
They were making the task difficult without anyone noticing.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Nosotros dificultábamos el acceso para proteger el área.
We were making access difficult to protect the area.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'dificultó' instead of the imperfect 'dificultaba' for a description or ongoing situation in the past.
Correct: For background or repeated actions, use the imperfect: 'El ruido dificultaba el estudio'.
Why: The imperfect describes the scene or habitual actions, while the preterite describes a single completed event.
Mistake: Incorrectly conjugating the 'vosotros' form.
Correct: The correct imperfect form for vosotros is 'dificultabais'.
Why: This follows the standard imperfect conjugation for -ar verbs.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: dificulto
Dificultar is regular in the present tense: dificulto, dificultas, dificulta, dificultamos, dificultáis, dificultan.
Preterite
yo: dificulté
Dificultar is regular in the preterite: dificulté, dificultaste, dificultó, dificultamos, dificultasteis, dificultaron.
Future
yo: dificultaré
The future tense of dificultar is regular: dificultaré, dificultarás, dificultará, dificultaremos, dificultaréis, dificultarán.
Conditional
yo: dificultaría
The conditional of dificultar is regular: dificultaría, dificultarías, dificultaría, dificultaríamos, dificultaríais, dificultarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: dificulte
The present subjunctive 'dificulte', 'dificultemos', etc., follows expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: dificultara
The imperfect subjunctive forms like 'dificultara' or 'dificultase' are used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: dificulta
Use 'dificulta' (tú), 'dificulte' (usted), 'dificultemos' (nosotros), 'dificultad' (vosotros), 'dificulten' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no dificultes
Use 'no dificultes' (tú), 'no dificulte' (usted), 'no dificultemos' (nosotros), 'no dificultéis' (vosotros), 'no dificulten' (ustedes), all based on the present subjunctive.