imitar Negative Imperative Conjugation
imitar — to copy
Negative commands use the present subjunctive: no imites, no imite, no imitemos, no imiten, no imitéis.
imitar Negative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Negative Imperative
Use the negative imperative to tell someone *not* to do something. All negative commands use the present subjunctive form of the verb preceded by 'no'.
Notes on imitar in the Negative Imperative
Imitar is regular in the negative imperative. The forms are derived directly from the present subjunctive.
Example Sentences
No imites sus malos hábitos.
Don't copy his bad habits.
tú
No imiten a los que hablan mal.
Don't copy those who speak badly.
ustedes
No imitemos las malas decisiones.
Let's not copy the bad decisions.
nosotros
No imitéis esa conducta, por favor.
Don't copy that behavior, please.
vosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the affirmative imperative form with 'no'.
Correct: Always use the present subjunctive form with 'no' for negative commands. For example, 'no imita' is incorrect; it should be 'no imites'.
Why: Spanish uses the subjunctive mood to express negation in commands.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'imitar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: imito
Imitar is regular in the present: imito, imitas, imita, imitamos, imitáis, imitan.
Preterite
yo: imité
Imitar is regular in the preterite: imité, imitaste, imitó, imitamos, imitasteis, imitaron.
Imperfect
yo: imitaba
The imperfect of imitar is regular: imitaba, imitabas, imitaba, imitábamos, imitabais, imitaban.
Future
yo: imitaré
The future of imitar is regular: imitaré, imitarás, imitará, imitaremos, imitaréis, imitarán.
Conditional
yo: imitaría
The conditional of imitar is regular: imitaría, imitarías, imitaría, imitaríamos, imitaríais, imitarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: imite
The present subjunctive of imitar (imite, imites, etc.) expresses wishes, doubts, or emotions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: imitara
The imperfect subjunctive of imitar (imitaran, imitara, etc.) expresses past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: imita
Imita and imita forms are regular commands for 'imitar'.