estrechar Imperfect Conjugation

When to Use the Imperfect

Use the imperfect for ongoing or habitual actions in the past involving shaking hands or strengthening ties. It sets the scene or describes what used to happen. For example, 'Cuando nos conocimos, siempre estrechábamos las manos' (When we met, we always used to shake hands).

Notes on estrechar in the Imperfect

Estrechar is regular in the imperfect tense. All forms follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.

Example Sentences

• Yo estrechaba su mano cada vez que lo veía.

  I used to shake his hand every time I saw him.

  yo

• ¿Tú estrechabas lazos con tus vecinos?

  Did you used to strengthen ties with your neighbors?

  tú

• Él estrechaba la entrada para que solo pasara un coche.

  He narrowed the entrance so only one car could pass.

  él/ella/usted

• Nosotros estrechábamos lazos de amistad en aquel entonces.

  We strengthened ties of friendship back then.

  nosotros

• Ellos se estrechaban en un abrazo.

  They held each other in a hug.

  ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Using the imperfect 'estrechaba' for a single, completed handshake.

  Correct: For a specific, finished action, use the preterite: 'Ayer estrechó mi mano' (Yesterday he shook my hand).

  Why: The imperfect describes continuous or habitual past actions, not single completed ones.

• Mistake: Confusing 'estrechaba' (I used to narrow/shake) with 'estrechaba' (he/she/you used to narrow/shake).

  Correct: The yo and él/ella/usted forms are identical ('estrechaba'), so context is crucial.

  Why: Spanish often relies on context and subject pronouns (sometimes omitted) to differentiate between identical verb forms.

Related Tenses