
enfrentar Imperfect Conjugation
enfrentar — to face
The imperfect 'enfrentaba' describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
enfrentar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect tense to describe actions that were happening continuously in the past, habitual actions in the past, or to set the scene/background in a story. It answers 'what was going on?' or 'what used to happen?'.
Notes on enfrentar in the Imperfect
Enfrentar is regular in the imperfect tense. The stem is 'enfrentab-' and the standard imperfect endings (-a, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -an) are added.
Example Sentences
Yo enfrentaba problemas similares cuando era joven.
I faced similar problems when I was young.
yo
¿Tú enfrentabas a tu jefe a menudo?
Did you used to face your boss often?
tú
Ella enfrentaba cada día con una sonrisa.
She faced each day with a smile.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros enfrentábamos mucha resistencia al principio.
We faced a lot of resistance at the beginning.
nosotros
Ellos enfrentaban dificultades económicas.
They were facing economic difficulties.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single, completed past action.
Correct: For a specific completed action, use the preterite: 'Ayer enfrenté un problema'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, while the preterite describes completed actions.
Mistake: Confusing the imperfect 'enfrentábamos' with the present 'enfrentamos'.
Correct: The imperfect for 'nosotros' is 'enfrentábamos', with a 'b'.
Why: The 'b' is characteristic of the imperfect tense for -ar verbs and helps distinguish it from the present tense.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: enfrento
The present tense 'enfrento' describes actions happening now or habitual actions.
Preterite
yo: enfrenté
The preterite 'enfrenté' describes a completed past action with a clear end.
Future
yo: enfrentaré
The future tense 'enfrentaré' means 'I will face' and is formed by adding endings to the infinitive.
Conditional
yo: enfrentaría
The conditional 'enfrentaría' means 'I would face' and is used for hypotheticals.
Present Subjunctive
yo: enfrente
The present subjunctive 'enfrente' is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: enfrentara
The imperfect subjunctive 'enfrentara' or 'enfrentase' is used for past hypotheticals or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: enfrenta
Use the imperative of enfrentar for direct commands like '¡Enfrenta tus miedos!' (Face your fears!).
Negative Imperative
yo: no enfrentes
Use negative commands like 'No enfrentes tus miedos' (Don't face your fears) with the present subjunctive.