expresar Imperfect Conjugation
expresar — to express
The imperfect of expresar follows the standard -aba pattern: expresaba, expresabas, expresaba, expresábamos, expresabais, expresaban.
expresar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use this tense to describe how someone used to express themselves or to provide background context about a state of mind in the past.
Notes on expresar in the Imperfect
Expresar is regular in the imperfect. Note the accent on the 'nosotros' form: expresábamos.
Example Sentences
De niño, no expresaba mucho mis sentimientos.
As a child, I didn't express my feelings much.
yo
Tú expresabas tus ideas con dibujos.
You used to express your ideas with drawings.
tú
Ellos expresaban su alegría bailando.
They were expressing their joy by dancing.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: expresasba
Correct: expresaba
Why: Learners sometimes try to add an extra 's' before the 'b', but the ending is simply -aba.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: expreso
The present tense of expresar is regular: expreso, expresas, expresa, expresamos, expresáis, expresan.
Preterite
yo: expresé
The preterite of expresar is regular: expresé, expresaste, expresó, expresamos, expresasteis, expresaron.
Future
yo: expresaré
The future of expresar is regular: expresaré, expresarás, expresará, expresaremos, expresaréis, expresarán.
Conditional
yo: expresaría
The conditional of expresar is regular: expresaría, expresarías, expresaría, expresaríamos, expresaríais, expresarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: exprese
The present subjunctive of expresar uses -e endings: exprese, expreses, exprese, expresemo, expreséis, expresen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: expresara
The imperfect subjunctive of expresar uses the -ara stem: expresara, expresaras, expresara, expresáramos, expresarais, expresaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: expresa
The affirmative imperative of expresar uses: expresa (tú), exprese (usted), expresad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no expreses
The negative imperative of expresar uses present subjunctive forms: no expreses, no exprese, no expreséis.