entonar Imperfect Conjugation
entonar — to sing in tune
Use entonaba, entonabas, entonaba, entonábamos, entonabais, entonaban for past habits or descriptions.
entonar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
The imperfect tense of 'entonar' is used to describe actions that were happening continuously or habitually in the past. Think of background details or repeated actions: 'Cuando era niño, entonaba canciones todo el tiempo' (When I was a child, I used to sing songs all the time).
Notes on entonar in the Imperfect
Entonar is regular in the imperfect indicative. All forms follow the standard -ar verb pattern.
Example Sentences
Yo entonaba esa canción cuando era joven.
I used to sing that song in tune when I was young.
yo
¿Tú entonabas con el grupo a menudo?
Did you often sing with the group in tune?
tú
Ella entonaba muy suavemente mientras estudiaba.
She sang very softly in tune while she studied.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros entonábamos juntos cada tarde.
We used to sing together every afternoon in tune.
nosotros
Ellos entonaban mientras trabajaban en el campo.
They sang in tune while they worked in the field.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite for habitual past actions.
Correct: Use 'Ella entonaba canciones' (She used to sing songs) for a repeated action, not 'Ella entonó'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or repeated actions in the past, whereas the preterite describes completed actions.
Mistake: Confusing the imperfect and preterite 'nosotros' forms.
Correct: The imperfect is 'entonábamos', the preterite is 'entonamos'.
Why: These forms sound similar but denote very different past actions (habitual/ongoing vs. completed).
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: entono
Use entono, entonas, entona, entonamos, entonáis, entonan for actions happening now or habitually.
Preterite
yo: entoné
The preterite of entonar is regular: entoné, entonaste, entonó, entonamos, entonasteis, entonaron.
Future
yo: entonaré
Use entonaré, entonarás, entonará, entonaremos, entonaréis, entonarán for future actions or probability.
Conditional
yo: entonaría
Use entonaría, entonarías, entonaría, entonaríamos, entonaríais, entonarían for hypotheticals ('would').
Present Subjunctive
yo: entone
Use entone, entonemos, entonéis, entonen after wishes, doubts, emotions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: entonara
Use entonara/entonarais/entonáramos/entonaran for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: entona
Use entona, entonemos, entonad, entonen for commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no entones
Use no entones, no entonemos, no entonéis, no entonen for negative commands.