durar Imperfect Conjugation
durar — to last (time)
The imperfect of durar follows the standard -aba pattern: duraba, durabas, duraba, durábamos, durabais, duraban.
durar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect when describing how long things used to last habitually in the past, or to describe a duration that was ongoing when something else happened.
Notes on durar in the Imperfect
Durar is completely regular in the imperfect. Remember the accent on the nosotros form: durábamos.
Example Sentences
Antes, las baterías duraban mucho más.
Before, batteries used to last much longer.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
En mi antigua escuela, las clases duraban una hora.
In my old school, classes lasted one hour.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Yo pensaba que la fiesta duraba toda la noche.
I thought the party lasted all night.
yo
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite for habitual past durations.
Correct: Use duraban instead of duraron for 'used to last'.
Why: The preterite implies a single finished event, while the imperfect describes a recurring state in the past.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: duro
The present tense of durar is regular: duro, duras, dura, duramos, duráis, duran.
Preterite
yo: duré
The preterite of durar is regular: duré, duraste, duró, duramos, durasteis, duraron.
Future
yo: duraré
The future tense of durar adds -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án to the infinitive.
Conditional
yo: duraría
The conditional of durar is regular: duraría, durarías, duraría, duraríamos, duraríais, durarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: dure
The present subjunctive of durar uses -e endings: dure, dures, dure, duremos, duréis, duren.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: durara
The imperfect subjunctive of durar is formed from the preterite stem: durara, duras, durara, duráramos, durarais, duraran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: dura
The imperative of durar uses dura (tú), dure (usted), and durad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no dures
The negative imperative of durar uses the present subjunctive: no dures, no dure, no duremos, no duréis, no duren.