escapar Imperfect Conjugation
escapar — escape
The imperfect of escapar follows the regular -aba pattern: escapaba, escapabas, escapaba, escapábamos, escapabais, escapaban.
escapar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe a habitual escape (like a childhood prank) or to set the scene by describing someone who was in the process of escaping when something else happened.
Notes on escapar in the Imperfect
Escapar is regular in the imperfect. Note the accent on the 'nosotros' form (escapábamos), which is standard for all -ar verbs in this tense.
Example Sentences
De niño, yo siempre escapaba de la escuela para ir al parque.
As a child, I always used to escape from school to go to the park.
yo
Mientras ellos escapaban, la policía llegó al lugar.
While they were escaping, the police arrived at the scene.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Tú escapabas de tus problemas en lugar de resolverlos.
You were escaping from your problems instead of solving them.
tú
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on escapábamos.
Correct: escapábamos
Why: All -ar verbs in the imperfect indicative require an accent on the 'a' of the -ábamos ending.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: escapo
The present tense of escapar is regular: escapo, escapas, escapa, escapamos, escapáis, escapan.
Preterite
yo: escapé
The preterite of escapar is regular: escapé, escapaste, escapó, escapamos, escapasteis, escaparon.
Future
yo: escaparé
The future tense of escapar uses the infinitive as a base: escaparé, escaparás, escapará, escaparemos, escaparéis, escaparán.
Conditional
yo: escaparía
The conditional of escapar is regular: escaparía, escaparías, escaparía, escaparíamos, escaparíais, escaparían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: escape
The present subjunctive of escapar uses the 'e' endings: escape, escapes, escape, escapemos, escapéis, escapen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: escapara
The imperfect subjunctive of escapar is formed from the 'ellos' preterite: escapara, escaparas, escapara, escapáramos, escaparais, escaparan.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: escapa
The affirmative imperative of escapar uses: escapa (tú), escapad (vosotros), and subjunctive forms for others.
Negative Imperative
yo: no escapes
The negative imperative of escapar uses the present subjunctive forms: no escapes, no escape, no escapemos, no escapéis, no escapen.