humillar Imperfect Conjugation
humillar — to humiliate
The imperfect of 'humillar' (humillaba, humillabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past actions of humiliating or humbling.
humillar Imperfect Forms
When to Use the Imperfect
Use the imperfect of 'humillar' to describe repeated or continuous acts of humiliation in the past, or to set the scene. For instance, 'He used to humiliate his brother often' or 'The situation was humiliating.'
Notes on humillar in the Imperfect
'Humillar' is regular in the imperfect indicative. It follows the standard pattern for -ar verbs, with consistent endings for each pronoun.
Example Sentences
Cuando éramos niños, él nos humillaba a menudo.
When we were kids, he used to humiliate us often.
él/ella/usted
Tú siempre te humillabas por cualquier cosa.
You always used to humiliate yourself over anything.
tú
Ellos se humillaban ante el rey.
They would humble themselves before the king.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Yo me sentía humillado por su actitud.
I felt humiliated by his attitude.
yo
Nosotros no nos humillábamos fácilmente.
We didn't easily humble ourselves.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite 'humilló' for a continuous or habitual past action.
Correct: Use 'humillaba' for ongoing or repeated past actions: 'Me humillaba cada día'.
Why: The imperfect describes background or repeated actions, while the preterite describes completed, single events.
Mistake: Confusing the imperfect 'humillábamos' (nosotros) with the preterite 'humillamos'.
Correct: Remember the double 'b' in the imperfect: 'humillábamos'.
Why: The spelling difference is key to distinguishing between habitual past actions and completed past actions.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: humillo
The present indicative of 'humillar' (humillo, humillas, etc.) describes current actions or general truths about humiliating others or oneself.
Preterite
yo: humillé
The preterite of 'humillar' is regular: humillé, humillaste, humilló, humillamos, humillasteis, humillaron.
Future
yo: humillaré
The future tense of 'humillar' (humillaré, humillarás, etc.) indicates actions that will happen or express probability.
Conditional
yo: humillaría
The conditional of 'humillar' (humillaría, humillarías, etc.) expresses hypotheticals ('would'), polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: humille
The present subjunctive of 'humillar' (humille, humilles, etc.) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or impersonal statements.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: humillara
The imperfect subjunctive of 'humillar' (humillara/humillase) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or uncertainty.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: humilla
Imperative commands for 'humillar' are: humilla (tú), humille (usted), humillemos (nosotros), humillad (vosotros), humillen (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no humilles
Negative commands for 'humillar' use 'no' + present subjunctive: no humilles (tú), no humille (usted), no humillemos (nosotros), no humilléis (vosotros), no humillen (ustedes).