exportar Imperfect Conjugation
exportar — to export
The imperfect of exportar is regular: exportaba, exportabas, exportaba, exportábamos, exportabais, exportaban.
exportar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past, or to set the scene. For example, 'When I was young, my family exported fruit' or 'They were exporting goods when the crisis began.'
Notes on exportar in the Imperfect
Exportar is regular in the imperfect tense. The endings are standard for -ar verbs in the imperfect.
Example Sentences
Mi abuelo exportaba naranjas a Europa.
My grandfather used to export oranges to Europe.
él/ella/usted
Cuando éramos niños, exportábamos juguetes hechos a mano.
When we were children, we used to export handmade toys.
nosotros
¿Exportabas mucho en esa época?
Did you export a lot back then?
tú
Ellos exportaban café de Colombia.
They exported (used to export) coffee from Colombia.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite instead of the imperfect for past habits or descriptions.
Correct: Use 'exportaba' or 'exportaban' for ongoing or repeated past actions, like 'He exported goods daily', not 'exportó'.
Why: The imperfect describes background or continuous actions, while the preterite describes single, completed events.
Mistake: Confusing 'exportábamos' (imperfect) with 'exportamos' (present/preterite).
Correct: Pay attention to the '-ba-' ending for the imperfect tense ('exportábamos').
Why: The '-ba-' ending is characteristic of the imperfect tense for -ar verbs, distinguishing it from the '-amos' ending of the present and preterite.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: exporto
The present tense of exportar is regular: exporto, exportas, exporta, exportamos, exportáis, exportan.
Preterite
yo: exporté
The preterite of exportar is regular: exporté, exportaste, exportó, exportamos, exportasteis, exportaron.
Future
yo: exportaré
The future tense of exportar is regular: exportaré, exportarás, exportará, exportaremos, exportaréis, exportarán.
Conditional
yo: exportaría
The conditional of exportar is regular: exportaría, exportarías, exportaría, exportaríamos, exportaríais, exportarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: exporte
Use 'exporte' (yo/él/ella/Ud.) and 'exporten' (ellos/ellas/Uds.) after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: exportara
Use 'exportara' or 'exportase' for past hypothetical or uncertain actions related to exporting.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: exporta
Use 'exporta' (tú) and 'exporten' (ustedes) for direct commands with exportar.
Negative Imperative
yo: no exportes
Use 'no exportes' (tú) and 'no exporten' (ustedes) for negative commands with exportar.