Inklingo
A sneaky fox disguised in a fluffy white sheep costume smiling slyly at a confused yellow chicken, illustrating the concept of general deception.

engañar Imperfect Conjugation

engañarto deceive

A2regular -ar★★★★★
Quick answer:

The imperfect of engañar is regular: engañaba, engañabas, engañaba, engañábamos, engañabais, engañaban.

engañar Imperfect Forms

yoengañaba
engañabas
él/ella/ustedengañaba
nosotrosengañábamos
vosotrosengañabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesengañaban

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect to describe background situations or habitual deceptions in the past, such as a person who used to lie frequently or a situation that was misleading over a period of time.

Notes on engañar in the Imperfect

Engañar is fully regular in the imperfect. Remember that the 'yo' and 'él/ella/usted' forms are identical (engañaba).

Example Sentences

  • De niño, él siempre engañaba a sus padres.

    As a child, he always used to deceive his parents.

    él/ella/usted

  • Engañábamos a los turistas con precios falsos.

    We used to trick the tourists with fake prices.

    nosotros

  • Tú creías que me engañabas, pero yo lo sabía.

    You thought you were deceiving me, but I knew it.

Common Mistakes

  • Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the nosotros form: engañabamos.

    Correct: engañábamos

    Why: All -ar verbs in the imperfect require a written accent on the 'a' of the -ábamos ending.

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