dominar Imperfect Conjugation
dominar — to master
The imperfect of dominar (dominaba, dominabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past actions and background details.
dominar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe past situations that were ongoing, habitual, or set the scene. Think 'He used to master a new song every week' or 'While she was mastering the recipe, the phone rang.'
Notes on dominar in the Imperfect
Dominar is regular in the imperfect tense. All forms are regular and follow the standard '-aba' endings for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo dominaba el violín cuando era joven.
I mastered (used to master) the violin when I was young.
yo
¿Tú dominabas la situación en ese momento?
Were you mastering (in control of) the situation at that moment?
tú
Él dominaba el tema a la perfección.
He mastered (was mastering) the topic perfectly.
él/ella/usted
Ellos dominaban el mercado antes de la crisis.
They mastered (dominated) the market before the crisis.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect for ongoing past actions.
Correct: For habitual or ongoing past actions, use 'dominaba' (I used to master), not 'dominé' (I mastered - completed).
Why: The imperfect describes actions in progress or repeated in the past, without a defined end, while the preterite marks completed actions.
Mistake: Confusing 'dominaba' (imperfect) with 'dominaba' (present subjunctive).
Correct: The forms are identical, but context clarifies the meaning. 'Yo dominaba' in a past narrative refers to the imperfect.
Why: This is a regularity of -ar verbs; the first-person singular imperfect and present subjunctive forms are the same.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'dominar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: domino
The present tense of dominar (domino, dominas, etc.) describes current actions, habits, or general truths.
Preterite
yo: dominé
The preterite of dominar is regular: dominé, dominaste, dominó, dominamos, dominasteis, dominaron, for completed past actions.
Future
yo: dominaré
The future tense of dominar (dominaré, dominarás, etc.) indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: dominaría
The conditional of dominar (dominaría, dominarías, etc.) is used for hypotheticals ('would'), polite requests, and future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: domine
The present subjunctive of dominar (domine, domines, etc.) follows expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: dominara
The imperfect subjunctive of dominar (dominara, dominaras, etc.) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: domina
Use the imperative of dominar for direct commands like 'domina' (you, informal) or 'dominen' (you all, formal).
Negative Imperative
yo: no domines
Negative commands use the present subjunctive with 'no', like 'no domines' (you, informal) or 'no dominen' (you all, formal).