frotar Imperfect Conjugation
frotar — to rub
Use the imperfect 'frotaba', 'frotabas', 'frotaba', 'frotábamos', 'frotabais', 'frotaban' for ongoing or habitual past rubbing.
frotar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect of 'frotar' to describe actions that were happening repeatedly or continuously in the past, or to set the scene. It answers 'What was going on?' or 'What used to happen?'
Notes on frotar in the Imperfect
Frotar is regular in the imperfect tense. The endings are standard for -ar verbs in this tense.
Example Sentences
Mi abuela frotaba la ropa a mano todos los domingos.
My grandmother used to rub the clothes by hand every Sunday.
Cuando eras niño, ¿te frotabas los ojos al despertar?
When you were a child, did you used to rub your eyes upon waking?
tú
El camarero frotaba las mesas mientras esperábamos.
The waiter was rubbing the tables while we waited.
nosotros
Antes, la gente frotaba las piedras para hacer fuego.
Before, people used to rub stones to make fire.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Yo frotaba la ventana para ver mejor la lluvia.
I was rubbing the window to see the rain better.
yo
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'frotó' for a habitual past action.
Correct: Use the imperfect 'frotaba' for habits or ongoing past actions.
Why: The preterite is for completed actions, while the imperfect describes continuous or repeated actions in the past.
Mistake: Confusing the 'yo' and 'él/ella/usted' forms.
Correct: Both are 'frotaba', but context or subject clarifies who is doing the rubbing.
Why: These two persons share the same form in the imperfect tense for regular -ar verbs.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: froto
Use the present 'froto', 'frotas', 'frota', 'frotamos', 'frotáis', 'frotan' for current or habitual rubbing.
Preterite
yo: froté
Use the preterite 'froté', 'frotaste', 'frotó', 'frotamos', 'frotasteis', 'frotaron' for completed rubbing actions in the past.
Future
yo: frotaré
Use the future 'frotaré', 'frotarás', 'frotará', 'frotaremos', 'frotaréis', 'frotarán' for actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: frotaría
Use the conditional 'frotaría', 'frotarías', 'frotaría', 'frotaríamos', 'frotaríais', 'frotarían' for hypotheticals ('would rub').
Present Subjunctive
yo: frote
Use 'frote', 'frotes', 'frote', 'frotemos', 'frotéis', 'froten' for wishes, doubts, and emotions with 'frotar'.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: frotara
Use the imperfect subjunctive 'frotara'/'frotase' for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts with 'frotar'.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: frota
Use 'frota', 'frote', 'frotad', 'frotemos', 'froten' for direct commands with 'frotar'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no frotes
Use 'no frotes', 'no frote', 'no frotéis', 'no frotemos', 'no froten' for negative commands with 'frotar'.