exprimir Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
exprimir — to squeeze
Used for past hypotheticals or wishes, like 'Si exprimiera la naranja, habría más jugo' (If I squeezed the orange, there would be more juice).
exprimir Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive is your go-to for talking about hypothetical situations in the past or present, expressing wishes, or in polite requests. For example, 'Ojalá exprimiera menos' (I wish I squeezed less) or 'Si exprimieras bien el algodón, saldría todo el líquido' (If you squeezed the cotton well, all the liquid would come out).
Notes on exprimir in the Imperfect Subjunctive
Exprimir is regular in the imperfect subjunctive. Both the -ra and -se forms exist, but the -ra form (exprimiera, exprimiramos, etc.) is generally more common in everyday speech.
Example Sentences
Si yo exprimiera más fuerte, el jugo saldría.
If I squeezed harder, the juice would come out.
yo
Quería que tú exprimieras la botella vacía.
I wanted you to squeeze the empty bottle.
tú
Me gustaría que él exprimiera su talento.
I would like him to unleash his talent.
él/ella/usted
Ellos actuarían si nosotros exprimiéramos la verdad.
They would act if we squeezed out the truth.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing imperfect subjunctive with preterite or imperfect indicative.
Correct: Use 'exprimiera' for past hypotheticals, not 'exprimió' or 'exprimía'.
Why: The imperfect subjunctive has a specific role for unreal or hypothetical situations, distinct from factual past events.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent in the 'nosotros' form.
Correct: The correct form is 'exprimiéramos', not 'exprimiramos'.
Why: The accent marks the stress on the 'e' before the '-ramos' ending.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: exprimo
The present tense of exprimir is regular: exprimo, exprimes, exprime, exprimimos, exprimís, exprimen.
Preterite
yo: exprimí
The preterite of exprimir is regular: exprimí, exprimiste, exprimió, exprimimos, exprimisteis, exprimieron.
Imperfect
yo: exprimía
The imperfect of exprimir is regular: exprimía, exprimías, exprimía, exprimíamos, exprimíais, exprimían.
Future
yo: exprimiré
The future tense of exprimir is regular: exprimiré, exprimirás, exprime, exprimiremos, exprimiréis, exprimirán.
Conditional
yo: exprimiría
The conditional of exprimir is regular: exprimiría, exprimirías, exprimiría, exprimiríamos, exprimiríais, exprimirían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: exprima
Used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion, like 'Espero que exprimas bien la fruta' (I hope you squeeze the fruit well).
Affirmative Imperative
yo: exprime
Use the imperative for direct commands like 'exprime la naranja' (squeeze the orange).
Negative Imperative
yo: no exprimas
Use 'no exprimas' (don't squeeze) and similar forms for negative commands.