fracasar Imperfect Conjugation
fracasar — to fail
Use 'fracasaba' for past ongoing or habitual actions.
fracasar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
The imperfect tense describes ongoing actions in the past, habitual actions, or sets the scene. You might use it to talk about a period when you frequently failed at something.
Notes on fracasar in the Imperfect
Fracasar is regular in the imperfect tense. It follows the standard -ar verb pattern.
Example Sentences
Yo fracasaba en matemáticas cuando era niño.
I used to fail math when I was a child.
yo
¿Tú fracasabas en tus intentos de cocina?
Did you used to fail in your cooking attempts?
tú
Él fracasaba en todos los deportes.
He used to fail at all sports.
él/ella/usted
Ellos fracasaban en convencer al jefe.
They were failing to convince the boss.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect for a single, completed failure.
Correct: Use the preterite for a specific past event: 'El proyecto fracasó'.
Why: The imperfect describes background or ongoing actions, not completed events.
Mistake: Confusing imperfect and preterite meanings.
Correct: 'Fracasaba' implies a repeated or ongoing failure, while 'fracasó' implies a single, finished failure.
Why: Understanding the distinction between ongoing/habitual (imperfect) and completed (preterite) is crucial.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'fracasar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: fracaso
'Fracaso', 'fracasas', 'fracasa' describe current actions or general truths.
Preterite
yo: fracasé
Use 'fracasé', 'fracasaste', 'fracasó' for completed past actions.
Future
yo: fracasaré
Use 'fracasaré', 'fracasarás', 'fracasará' for future actions or probability.
Conditional
yo: fracasaría
Use 'fracasaría' for hypothetical situations ('would fail').
Present Subjunctive
yo: fracase
'Fracase' and 'fracasen' express wishes, doubts, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: fracasara
Use 'fracasara' or 'fracasase' for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: fracasa
Use imperative forms like 'fracasa' and 'fracasen' for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no fracases
Negative commands like 'no fracases' use the present subjunctive.