exclamar Imperfect Conjugation
exclamar — to exclaim
Use 'exclamaba' (yo/él/ella/usted) for ongoing or habitual past exclamations.
exclamar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
The imperfect tense is for actions that were happening repeatedly or continuously in the past, or for background description. For example, 'Cada vez que ganaba, él exclamaba de felicidad' (Every time he won, he would exclaim with happiness).
Notes on exclamar in the Imperfect
Exclamar is a regular -ar verb and is completely regular in the imperfect tense.
Example Sentences
Yo exclamaba cosas graciosas cuando era niño.
I used to exclaim funny things when I was a child.
yo
¿Tú exclamabas mucho en esa época?
Did you exclaim a lot back then?
tú
Ella exclamaba de dolor cada vez que se movía.
She would exclaim in pain every time she moved.
él/ella/usted
Los niños exclamaban al ver los fuegos artificiales.
The children exclaimed upon seeing the fireworks.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'exclamó' for a habitual past action.
Correct: For repeated or ongoing past actions, use the imperfect: 'Él exclamaba'.
Why: The preterite is for single, completed events, while the imperfect is for descriptions and habits.
Mistake: Confusing the 'yo' and 'él/ella/usted' forms.
Correct: Both use 'exclamaba', but context clarifies who is speaking.
Why: These two forms are identical, requiring careful attention to the sentence subject.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'exclamar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: exclamo
Use 'exclamo' (yo) and 'exclaman' (ustedes) for actions happening now or habitual exclamations.
Preterite
yo: exclamé
The preterite of exclamar is regular: exclamé, exclamaste, exclamó, exclamamos, exclamasteis, exclamaron.
Future
yo: exclamaré
Use 'exclamaré' (yo) and 'exclamarán' (ustedes) for actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: exclamaría
Use 'exclamaría' (yo/él/ella/usted) for hypotheticals ('would exclaim').
Present Subjunctive
yo: exclame
Use 'exclame' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'exclamen' (ustedes) for wishes, doubts, or emotions with exclamar.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: exclamara
Use 'exclamara' or 'exclamase' for past hypotheticals, wishes, or uncertainty with exclamar.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: exclama
Use 'exclama' (tú) and 'exclamen' (ustedes) for direct commands with exclamar.
Negative Imperative
yo: no exclames
Use 'no exclames' (tú) and 'no exclamé' (usted) for negative commands with exclamar.