entonar Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
entonar — to sing in tune
Use entonara/entonarais/entonáramos/entonaran for past hypotheticals or wishes.
entonar Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive is perfect for talking about hypothetical situations in the past, wishes, or things that might have happened. For example, 'Si entonara mejor, me uniría al coro' (If I sang better, I would join the choir). It's also used after certain phrases expressing doubt or emotion about the past.
Notes on entonar in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Entonar is regular in the imperfect subjunctive. You can use either the -ra or -se ending (e.g., entonara or entonase), but the -ra form is more common.
Example Sentences
Ojalá entonara esa melodía tan hermosa.
I wish I could sing that beautiful melody.
yo
Si entonaras con más confianza, te escucharían mejor.
If you sang with more confidence, they would listen to you better.
tú
El profesor quería que entonara la nota correcta.
The teacher wanted me to sing the correct note.
él/ella/usted
Nos pidieron que entonáramos la canción de cuna.
They asked us to sing the lullaby.
nosotros
Creían que entonaran mejor que los demás.
They thought they would sing better than the others.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of imperfect subjunctive for hypotheticals.
Correct: For 'if I sang', use 'si entonara', not 'si entoné'.
Why: The imperfect subjunctive is required in 'if' clauses that express unreal or hypothetical conditions in the past or present.
Mistake: Confusing the -ra and -se forms.
Correct: Both 'entonara' and 'entonase' are correct imperfect subjunctive forms.
Why: While both are grammatically correct, the -ra form is generally more common in everyday speech.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'entonar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
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.
Imperfect
yo: entonaba
Use entonaba, entonabas, entonaba, entonábamos, entonabais, entonaban for past habits or descriptions.
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.
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.