encontrar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
encontrar — to find
The imperfect subjunctive of encontrar is regular: encontrara, encontraras, encontrara, encontráramos, encontrarais, encontraran.
encontrar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
Use this in 'if' clauses (hypotheticals) or when the main verb is in the past and requires the subjunctive.
Notes on encontrar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
It is formed from the third-person plural of the preterite (encontraron), so it is regular and has no stem change.
Example Sentences
Si encontrara un tesoro, viajaría por el mundo.
If I found a treasure, I would travel the world.
yo
Me gustaría que encontraras un buen trabajo.
I would like you to find a good job.
tú
Si encontráramos el perro, seríamos muy felices.
If we found the dog, we would be very happy.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: encuentrara
Correct: encontrara
Why: Applying the present tense stem change to the past subjunctive.
Mistake: encontrarais
Correct: encontráramos
Why: Forgetting the written accent on the 'a' in the nosotros form.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: encuentro
Encontrar undergoes an o-to-ue stem change in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Preterite
yo: encontré
Encontrar is completely regular in the preterite; the o-to-ue stem change does not happen here.
Imperfect
yo: encontraba
Encontrar is regular in the imperfect: encontraba, encontrabas, encontraba, encontrábamos, encontrabais, encontraban.
Future
yo: encontraré
The future of encontrar is regular: attach -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án to the full infinitive.
Conditional
yo: encontraría
The conditional of encontrar is regular: encontraría, encontrarías, encontraría, encontraríamos, encontraríais, encontrarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: encuentre
The present subjunctive of encontrar follows the o-to-ue stem change except for nosotros and vosotros.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: encuentra
The imperative of encontrar uses the stem-changed 'encuentra' for tú and 'encuentre' for usted.
Negative Imperative
yo: no encuentres
Negative commands use the present subjunctive forms: no encuentres, no encuentre, no encontremos.