entrar Imperfect Conjugation
entrar — to enter
The imperfect of entrar follows the standard -aba pattern: entraba, entrabas, entraba, entrábamos, entrabais, entraban.
entrar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe a repeated habit of entering (like entering school every day) or to describe the scene when something else happened (e.g., 'I was entering when the phone rang').
Notes on entrar in the Imperfect
Entrar is regular in the imperfect. All -ar verbs use the -aba endings in this tense.
Example Sentences
De niño, yo entraba siempre por la ventana.
As a child, I always used to enter through the window.
yo
Mientras entrabas, yo salía.
While you were entering, I was leaving.
tú
Ellos entraban en el edificio cada mañana.
They used to enter the building every morning.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Adding an 's' to the él/ella/usted form.
Correct: Él entraba.
Why: Learners sometimes confuse the 'él' and 'tú' forms in the imperfect.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: entro
The present tense of entrar is regular: entro, entras, entra, entramos, entráis, entran.
Preterite
yo: entré
Entrar is regular in the preterite: entré, entraste, entró, entramos, entrasteis, entraron.
Future
yo: entraré
The future of entrar uses the infinitive plus endings: entraré, entrarás, entrará, entraremos, entraréis, entrarán.
Conditional
yo: entraría
The conditional of entrar is regular: entraría, entrarías, entraría, entraríamos, entraríais, entrarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: entre
The present subjunctive of entrar changes the -a to -e: entre, entres, entre, entremos, entréis, entren.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: entrara
The imperfect subjunctive of entrar is based on the preterite stem: entrara, entraras, entrara, entráramos, entrarais, entraran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: entra
The affirmative imperative of entrar uses: entra (tú), entre (usted), entrad (vosotros), entren (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no entres
The negative imperative of entrar uses the present subjunctive: no entres, no entre, no entremos, no entréis, no entren.