explotar Imperfect Conjugation
explotar — to explode
The imperfect of explotar is regular: explotaba, explotabas, explotaba, explotábamos, explotabais, explotaban.
explotar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe a situation that was ongoing, such as a volcano that was continuously erupting or a company that used to exploit workers habitually.
Notes on explotar in the Imperfect
Explotar is regular in the imperfect; simply add the -aba endings to the stem.
Example Sentences
Antes, las minas explotaban a los niños.
In the past, mines used to exploit children.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
El volcán explotaba cada cien años.
The volcano used to erupt every hundred years.
él/ella/usted
Mientras nosotros explotábamos los globos, ellos ponían la música.
While we were popping the balloons, they were putting on the music.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Missing the accent on 'explotábamos'.
Correct: explotábamos
Why: The 'nosotros' form in the imperfect indicative always requires an accent on the first 'a' of the ending.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: exploto
The present tense of explotar is regular: exploto, explotas, explota, explotamos, explotáis, explotan.
Preterite
yo: exploté
The preterite of explotar is regular: exploté, explotaste, explotó, explotamos, explotasteis, explotaron.
Future
yo: explotaré
The future of explotar is regular: explotaré, explotarás, explotará, explotaremos, explotaréis, explotarán.
Conditional
yo: explotaría
The conditional of explotar is regular: explotaría, explotarías, explotaría, explotaríamos, explotaríais, explotarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: explote
The present subjunctive of explotar is regular: explote, explotes, explote, explotemos, explotéis, exploten.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: explotara
The imperfect subjunctive of explotar is regular: explotara, explotaras, explotara, explotáramos, explotarais, explotaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: explota
The imperative of explotar is: explota (tú), explote (usted), explotemos (nosotros), explotad (vosotros), exploten (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no explotes
The negative imperative of explotar uses present subjunctive forms: no explotes, no explote, no explotemos, no explotéis, no exploten.