escabullirse Imperfect Conjugation
escabullirse — to slip away
The imperfect 'se escabullía' describes a habit of sneaking off or an ongoing escape in the past.
escabullirse Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use this for 'used to' scenarios or to set the scene (e.g., 'I was slipping away when the phone rang').
Notes on escabullirse in the Imperfect
This verb is regular in the imperfect, using the -ía endings common to all -ir verbs.
Example Sentences
De niño, siempre me escabullía para ir al río.
As a child, I always used to sneak off to go to the river.
yo
Nos escabullíamos de las clases aburridas.
We used to slip out of boring classes.
nosotros
Ella se escabullía silenciosamente cada noche.
She was slipping away silently every night.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing 'se escabullía' with 'se escabulló'.
Correct: Use 'escabullía' for repeated actions and 'escabulló' for a single time.
Why: This is the classic imperfect vs. preterite distinction.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: me escabullo
The present tense 'se escabulle' describes someone who habitually or currently slips away.
Preterite
yo: me escabullí
The preterite marks a specific instance of someone slipping away: 'me escabullí', 'se escabulló'.
Future
yo: me escabulliré
The future tense 'se escabullirá' predicts that someone will sneak off later.
Conditional
yo: me escabulliría
The conditional 'se escabulliría' expresses what someone 'would' do under certain circumstances.
Present Subjunctive
yo: me escabulla
Use 'me escabulla', 'te escabullas' to express wishes, doubts, or requests about someone slipping away.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: me escabullera
Use 'se escabullera' for hypothetical scenarios or past requests about sneaking off.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: escabúllete
Use 'escabúllete' to tell someone to sneak away right now.
Negative Imperative
yo: no te escabullas
Use 'no te escabullas' to tell someone NOT to sneak off.